There are millions of people in India whose life depends on two meals a day. To help these needy people, the Government of India provides rations for free or at a low price under the ‘National Food Security Act’. For this, ration cards are issued by the government. People who do not have a ration card are not able to avail this facility. People get many things on a ration card, such as wheat, rice, sugar, and pulses. But new news related to the ration card has come out, due to which some cardholders will get less quantity of grains than before.
Impact on APL ration card holders in Himachal
This change has been made for APL (Above Poverty Line) ration card holders in Himachal Pradesh at present. The amount of flour under the Public Distribution System (PDS) has now been reduced.
Earlier: 14 kg of flour was available on every card.
Now: It has been reduced to 13 kg.
This reduction of 1 kg in the quantity of flour can affect lakhs of families. This decision has been implemented on both APL and APL Income Tax Paying families.
What is the reason behind the government’s decision
No clear reason has been given by the government for reducing the quantity of flour. But it is believed that the continuously decreasing supply and stock-related problems are the main reasons for this. People are very angry with this sudden reduction in quota.
Last month, mustard oil and gram dal did not reach the depot, due to which people had to buy them at higher prices from the market. A similar situation seems to be developing this month as well.
Direct impact on the general public
The non-availability of essential items like oil and pulses puts a direct burden on the general public. Especially the middle class and families with limited income may have to bear the brunt of this reduction in ration. People are now demanding that the government normalise the supply and increase the quota again so that they don’t have to buy goods from the market at higher prices.
