Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar on Friday said that the department will deliver ration to senior citizens and differently-abled persons during the last five days in advance of every month.
The minister said this decision had been taken to ease doorstep delivery for senior citizens and differently-abled persons, which would now be carried out between the 26th and 30th of every month, effectively the ration for next month for them will be delivered during the last five days of the current month.
“The home delivery service benefitted nearly 13 lakh elderly and differently-abled persons, achieving 83 per cent coverage”, said Manohar in an official release.
According to the minister, across 29,796 fair price shops, over 1.3 crore beneficiaries have received ration supplies so far, out of the 1.46 crore total cardholders in the state.
Manohar said that over 89 per cent of ration distribution was completed within the first 15 days of June.
The minister instructed the dealers to take initiative in tribal, remote areas and display ration calendars and Quick Response (QR) codes for feedback outside every fair price shop.
He stressed cleanliness in shops and said that efforts should be taken to increase dealer income in collaboration with the central government for sustained and transparent supply chain management.
He further said that dealers should act as a bridge between people and the government by reporting supply issues and offering competitive quality services to improve citizen satisfaction.
The government is moving toward paperless administration, and dealers must be ready to adapt for improved efficiency and transparency in the ration delivery system, said Manohar.
The minister said that the ration distribution is scheduled between 8 am and noon and 4 pm-8pm from 1 to 15 of every month across the state.
Similarly, Manohar directed rice millers to encourage farmers to grow fine rice during Kharif season, aligning with public demand and export market opportunities.
“Millers should work collectively to ensure that farmers earn profits and the government’s reputation remains intact,” said Manohar in the official release.
The millers must move forward not only with a focus on domestic consumption but also keeping rice exports in mind, said the Janasena leader.
He said that the government is promoting the consumption of fine rice, keeping in view the dietary habits of the people. Hence, rice millers should play a crucial role in encouraging farmers to shift in that direction, he added.
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