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Energy Minister Raut urges CM Thackeray to save hungry people who don't have ration cards

Last Updated 03 April 2020, 09:39 IST

Energy Minister Dr Nitin Raut has urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to provide ration through the Public Distribution System (PDS) to people who are starving, even though they do not possess any kind of ration cards and are not covered under National Food Security Act 2013 (NFSA) during the lockdown period.

In a letter sent to Thackeray on Thursday, Dr Raut pointed out that there are thousands of people residing in slums and without ration cards. They are mostly industrial workers, labourers, cycle rickshaw pullers, autorickshaw drivers, sanitary workers, scavengers, homeless persons living on footpaths, orphans, brickyard workers, construction workers, boot polishers, hamals, coolies, sugarcane labourers etc. They are in this position as the lockdown has put them out of employment. Also, since they do not have any type of ration card, they are not covered under the National Food Security Act 2013.

Keeping in mind the need for the situation to be addressed at the earliest, he urged the Chief Minister to make necessary changes in the Maharashtra policy to cover them under the National Food Security Act 2013 with immediate effect.

The beneficiaries covered under this act are provided food security under the PDS. They belong to the weaker sections of society, including below poverty line and above poverty line.

It is to be mentioned here that following the lockdown due to COVID-19, the Maharashtra Government has made arrangements to provide food supplies to the weaker sections of the society who are in possession of various ration cards, including the Tricolour Ration Card, Yellow Ration Card, Saffron Ration Card, White Ration Card and Priority House Hold Cards. They will be provided ration for a period of three months through the PDS.

Those do not have any kind of ration card are not covered under the act. They cannot be provided food through the PDS. To save them from hunger and starvation, Dr Raut has further demanded that the Chief Minister to allow MLAs to spend Rs 25 lakh from MLA fund to provide them food at the earliest.

He has further demanded the Chief Minister to instruct cable TV operators not to disconnect the cable on failure of monthly payments from the subscribers and which should be collected after a period of one month.

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(Published 03 April 2020, 09:32 IST)

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