No free ration from this month in Andhra Pradesh as Covid cases are declining and economic activity being restored

Tirupati: The state government stopped supply of free ration to the card holders from this month. The ration was given twice every month to card holders for eight months from April to November following the coronavirus pandemic. With the declining trend in Covid cases and economic activity being restored, the government stopped free ration supply.

The ration supply under the public distribution system (PDS) will begin on Saturday, December 5. It will lay additional burden on the card holders as they not only need to pay the money for essential commodities but also need to shell out more for red gram from this month. The price of red gram has been increased by Rs 27 a kilogram though the quality of the dal is not good.

Each card holder will get one kg red gram and half-a-kg sugar at Rs 17 along with five kg rice for each family member at Rs 1 per kg. Since lockdown, the state and the Central governments have distributed free rice to the card holders twice every month. From this month, it will be given once in a month and on a payment basis only.

Chittoor district supply officer T Sivarama Prasad told The Hans India that only red gram rate has gone up while the remaining prices were the same. There are 11,88,779 white cards in the district who will get ration from Saturday. He said that Antodyaya Anna Yojana (AAY) card holders will get one kg sugar while the white card holders will get half-a-kg only.

AAY card holders will get 35 kg rice per month at free of cost whereas Annapurna card holders will get 10 kg each. To a question, he said that efforts were on to provide ration at the doorstep from January for which the mobile numbers of card holders are being enrolled now. At the time of ration distribution card holders will get one time password (OTP) which has to be entered before taking the items.

Meanwhile, the poorer sections of the people were criticising the government's decision to increase the price of red gram. They were arguing that the increased price will certainly impose additional burden on them at a time when they are still struggling to come out of the financial difficulties that arose out of Covid-19 pandemic.