New Delhi : Five state assembly polls are announced followed by the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In that context, the Modi government first reduced household cooking gas and increased the amount of subsidy given to Ujjala consumers. According to the sources of the Ministry of Food, Hence the speculation has started, the period of free ration ‘Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana’ may be extended even after December.
However, so that this free ration does not go into the hands of ineligible citizens, the center wants to link Aadhaar with ration card to 100 percent as soon as possible. States have been asked to step up initiatives. Also, the deadline for ration card-Aadhaar linking has been extended till December 31. The Center claims that only after hundred percent Aadhaar linkage is done, the government will know exactly how many people are getting ration and how much money will be spent for it.
However, even after Aadhaar linking is done, there are allegations that there are many fake ration cards are still there. So there is a demand to install ‘anti-cloning machines’ in ration shops. General Secretary of All India Fair Price Shop Dealers Federation Biswambhar Bose has written to Union Food Minister Piyush Goyal in this regard. He wrote in it, ‘In many cases even after linking Aadhaar, phone number and ration card, fraud is also happening in many places. Therefore, an anti-clone device should be installed along with the e-pos machine in the ration shops. It is known that the center will look into this proposal of the shopkeepers and take action.
The central government provides free rice and wheat to 81.35 million citizens in the entire country. Earlier, it was bought at the rate of rupees two and three per kg, but it is free from January this year. The poor get this food grain because of the National Food Security Act. Five kg per head per month is given to the common poor through ration shops. 35 kg per family per month under ‘Antyodaya Anna Yojana’. But this free ration is effective till December. Then again consumers have to buy at a lower price, or will it be free? Although the whisper has started in the ministry, but no decision has been taken in this regard yet. However, the way cooking gas prices are being reduced in the run-up to the polls has led to speculation that the period of ‘free ration’ may be extended for at least another six months.
