Lockdown: Ration card holders face hardships in collecting grains

With the buses and other means of transportation being suspended following the lockdown, ration card holders are finding it difficult to transport the rice from the Public Distribution System (PDS).

People had arrived at Vyavasayotpanna Sahakara Sangha in Gonikoppa early in the morning to collect the rice.

Women were waiting in a queue to collect the rice.

“In the past, I used to take the rice in an auto. My house is situated two kilometres away from the PDS. I have to carry it on my head and walk,” said a 65-year-old Thimmayya.

People were seen carrying the groceries on top of their head.

“It is difficult to walk under the sun wearing masks. It would have been helpful if at least auto service was made available to us to take groceries,” said Subhashini of Aruvathokkalu.

People are struggling to get food grains in and around Kushalnagar through PDS.

After the announcement of the lockdown, the daily wage labourers are jobless and are finding it difficult to eke out a living. The grains supplied through PDS are a source of their living.

The rice is being supplied through PDS under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY) from April till June. Owing to the lockdown, people have to collect the food grains within the stipulated time.

There are 43,000 BPL card holders in Somwarpet taluk with 1.35 lakh beneficiaries. There are 3,000 Antyodaya card holders with 11,000 beneficiaries.

A large number of card holders had arrived in the ration shop situated at Raitha Bhavana premises in Kushalnagar. Most of them returned empty-handed being unable to get the grains.

As the district administration has allowed the purchase of essentials only two days a week, even the ration shops are open only two days a week. As a result, the heavy rush at the shops is inconveniencing the ration card holders.

The food grains are distributed by generating OTP at the ration shops. The delay in getting the OTP also delays the distribution of food grains.