Amaravati: Teething problems mar ration door delivery

Amaravati: The state government's prestigious ration door delivery scheme is facing teething problems in several districts with vehicle drivers expressing helplessness in carrying heavy loads to the residences of beneficiaries. Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the scheme on February 1. On January 21, he flagged off a fleet of mobile dispensing units (MDUs or vehicles) in Vijayawada to benefit 26.39 lakh card holders throughout the state.

The state government is incurring an additional burden of Rs 830 crore on the scheme. It procured 9,260 mobile vehicles for the purpose and provided 60 per cent subsidy to eligible beneficiaries to purchase the vehicles.

In urban areas of Krishna district, the door delivery was completed by 10 to 15 per cent only. The vehicle drivers are expressing concern over collecting heavy loads of ration from the dealers. In Vijayawada, each ration dealer has to cover nearly 500 to 600 card holders. The MDUs (vehicles) have to deliver the ration from two to three ration dealers. As a result, there was a delay in door delivery.

In Guntur district, the door delivery of essential commodities has been completed only 4 per cent so far since February 1. The vehicle owners are said to be not showing interest in loading and unloading rice bags. District supply officer P Padmaja said they distributed ration at doorstep to 58,552 card holders so far. The district administration is planning to conduct a coordination committee meeting to solve the problems of vehicle owners.

In Prakasam district, the mobile dispensing vehicle operators in Ongole met the local tahsildar and narrated their woes. An operator said that there are 29 of them in the mandal, and along with the driving the vehicle, they are loading the 50 bags of rice into the vehicle daily, distributing the commodities 2,150 cardholders of five ration shops in their locality. The operators said that they cannot get a helper for Rs 3,000 as stipulated by the government and suggested that the officials should appoint one for each vehicle.

A resident of Satyanarayana Colony in Kurnool town said that the van carrying the essential commodities would be parked at a place and the people of that area have to go to the van to get the provisions. If anyone of the residents are not available at that point of time when the van came, they have to lose the provisions.

In Chittoor district, there are 11.56 lakh white ration card holders and 174 mobile dispensing units were pressed into service for door delivery of ration which is going at a snail's pace. In some narrow lanes, the mobile vehicles are forced to distribute the ration at the street corners.

In Rajamahendravaram, the ration has been delivered at door to 11,500 card holders of the total 82,000 beneficiaries. As many as 58 vehicles are distributing ration at door step. The vehicle drivers are facing problem to carry the rice bags as no one is coming forward to help them.

In Nellore district, 10 to 15 per cent ration has been distributed at doorstep so far.

Meanwhile, minister for civil supplies Kodali Sri Venkateswara Rao alias Nani said that the door delivery of ration done for 4.73 lakh card holders through 2,066 vehicles so far. He said 7,745 metric tones of rice and 303.55 tonne red gram has been distributed.

The minister said on Friday alone the rice was distributed to 6,674 card holders in Anantapur district, 3,883 in Chittoor district, 8,563 in East Godavari, 10,833 in Guntur, 6,183 in Kadapa, 12,314 in Krishna, 5,431 in Kurnool, 5,109 in Nellore, 3,891 in Prakasam, 1,852 in Srikakulam, 10,575 in Visakhapatnam, 2,577 in Vizianagarm and 7,191card holders in West Godavari district.

Nani said portability was introduced in ration door delivery system.