Mumbai: In a bid to get citizens to avail cash over kind (food grains) via the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme, the Food and Civil Supplies Department has planned to extend its pilot project in Mumbai from two shops to 10 as it has received good response from the beneficiaries of the Right to Food Security Act.
The department is giving '807.64 to each family holding an Antyodaya card and 112.39 to each individua holding a saffron (kesari) card instead of food grains. An official of the Food and Civil Supplies Department said that they had carried out the pilot project at shops near Azad Maidan in CSMT and Mahalakshmi.
There were 834 beneficiaries in the shops. Out of these, 193 beneficiaries preferred to take cash over kind.
Officials said that if the pilot project proved a success in these ten shops, it would be implemented across the state, especially in urban areas. With 4,271 shops, there are 19,500 Antyodaya cards and 1,850,421 kesari cards in Mumbai.
According to the rules of the Food Security Act, each Antyodaya card is eligible to get 35kg food grains including 19kg wheat and 16kg rice each month while each kesari card is eligible to get five kg food grains including three kg wheat and two kg rice every month. There are five regions in Mumbai and Thane.
Kailash Pagare, controller of rationing & director of civil supplies told The Asian Age, “We have identified ten shops, including the existing two in five regions where we have planned to implement the DBT of cash over kind.”
Mr Pagare said that they were creating awareness about the DBT of cash over kind and would ensure that eligible beneficiaries got cash in their accounts on time.
“In case in future, the beneficiary doesn’t want cash in his account, he can choose the kind option by making a simple application to the rationing shops,” added Mr Pagare.
