Puducherry: Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy announced on Sunday that his government will provide 10 kg of rice and 2 kg of sugar, free of cost, to ration card holders ahead of Diwali. The distribution will take place through fair-price shops.
Speaking to the media, the Chief Minister justified the move, as it was imperative to respond to the appeals received from various quarters to support families under the PDS in the Union Territory. The ration shops, shut for months, will be opened to distribute rice and sugar.
The Chief Minister also spoke of the non-payment that the workers received for their job in these fair-price shops: they will be paid one month’s salary after the shop is in operation. The tenders for the rice and sugar for this free distribution scheme have been finalized and procurement funds sanctioned.
The Chief Minister noted that around three lakh families in Puducherry benefit from the public distribution system.
