NASHIK :
Ahead of fast approaching Diwali festival, the district supply office (DSO) has geared up to procure 40 MT of rice from Andhra Pradesh as an alternative arrangement due to the ongoing agitation of farmers in Punjab.
In order to ensure that the ration beneficiaries should not deprived of foodgrains during Diwali, two trains, i.e. 480 metric tons of rice, should be arranged from Andhra Pradesh.
Such a demand has been raised by the district supply office to the Food Corporation of India.
Efforts are being made by the district supply department to remove the problem of availability of foodgrains on ration.
Supply of wheat and rice on ration in most of the districts of Maharashtra including the Nashik district comes from the state of Punjab. However, due to the farmers’ agitation in Punjab, the ration shops have not been able to get their October and November ration quota.
The ration under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana has not been received yet. Nashik district was to receive 2400 metric tons of grain from Punjab. The same arrangement was made by the Food Corporation. Accordingly, a train carrying 240 metric tonnes of rice had arrived. But soon the peasant movement started in Punjab. Therefore, seven trains loaded with rice and 2 trains of wheat could not arrived yet.
As a result, out of the expected 2400 metric tonnes of foodgrains in the district, 2160 metric tonnes of foodgrains are still awaited.
And as there is no certainty as to when this agitation will end, there is a strong possibility that the ration beneficiary will be deprived of
foodgrains in the midst of Diwali.
However, as it is the month of Diwali festivities, the district supply officer has requested the Food Corporation to provide foodgrains at least during the month of Diwali. If possible, at least two trains of rice should be made available from Andhra Pradesh, the DSO has said in a letter to the FCI.
In addition to this, continuous follow-up has been initiated to ensure that wheat is delivered from Uttar Pradesh if possible. But as no guarantee has been received yet, the entire system is in worry.
This is because the government, including the supply department, will be criticized if the poorest beneficiaries do not get ration in Diwali.
The rulers fear that key opposition parties will get a chance to raise the issue of ration foodgrains. The supply department is working hard to prevent this from happening. So even cardholders are hoping to get rice in time for a happy Diwali.