Door-to-door ration distribution turns into a farce

Rajamahendravaram (East Godavari district): The government is testing people’s patience by radically changing the ration distribution system without fulfilling the promise of door-to-door delivery of ration items by volunteers. Distribution of goods through ration vans has become a farce.

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s promise of door-to-door delivery of ration goods every month, given during the last election, has not been implemented. Even if the ration was not sent door-to-door, they did not even have an address for public distribution.

In the past, they used to go to the ration shop every month and get the goods whenever possible. Now there is no chance of doing like this.

Essential goods should be taken only when the ration van comes to the street. If anyone misses it, they have to check in which street the ration van is and go there. If public fail to get ration through the van for four or five days, then they won’t get ration for that month.

People are lamenting that they have to wait, including women, old people, disabled people, in a queue on the road for the ration. They said that no one knows when the mobile dispensing units (MDU) vehicle will arrive. Even if the date announced, there is no guarantee until it arrives.

This forces the people that one of the family members should stay at house, leaving work, in the first week of every month and wait for the ration vehicle. A woman said that she was forced to stay at home bearing loss of pay to get ration. If not, she has to give up her ration for that month, she added.

An employee, Kiran Kumar, said that he goes to work in the morning and returns in the evening. In the meantime, ration vehicles will come, and I miss my ration, he alleged.

He said that earlier ration dealer had the flexibility of giving ration items in the morning and evening from the 1 to 15 of every month. ‘With the new system and work schedule, I couldn’t get ration for the past two months,’ he complained.

There are 80,220 card holders in Rajamahendravaram urban area and the officials concerned informed that they are operating 60 vehicles for ration distribution.