Bengal to have bar coded ration cards to combat against fakes

Siliguri, Jun 30 : West Bengal Food Minister Jyotipriya Mallick today said the government would soon introduce bar coded ration cards in a bid to streamline the Public Distribution System (pds) to the bonafide card holders.
Addressing a media conference after travelling far-flung Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts for the past two days, the Minister revealed that out of 10.12 crore ration cards had been issued, nearly 1.4 crore were fake in all 20 districts of the state.
Of those nearly five lakh fake ration cards were in service alone in Darjeeling district, the Minister maintained.
He said though the fake ration cards had been detected by the Food department, the holders of those cards were yet to be identified.

Mr Mallick said nearly Rs two crore would be required for printing and issuing the bar coded ration cards in around two months time.

He said this would also enable the government to streamline the PDS, which had nearly collapsed in the previous Left Frone Government regime.

The Minister also visited the ailing and closed tea estates in Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling and interacted with various stake holders, including labourers, managers and the government officials, to know the fact of the tea industry.

He said initially talks will resume for reopening the closed tea gardens and added that rations for tea workers had been enhanced with immediate effect.

Mr Mallick also held talks with Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council's caretaker administrator Anil Verma, Darjeeling District Magistrate Mohan Gandhi and other officials to assess the food situation in the hills and plains.
--UNI
 
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