3 month advance food ration for NFS cardholders
TURA: After a harrowing time experienced with supply shortage across Garo Hills during the last three days following disruption in the food supply chain, caused by a decision from the Assam government to prioritise and stock up their own buffer stock, things have eased up after the matter was resolved at the official level leading to safe passage of convoys of trucks bringing in essential commodities to this region.
In the last three days there had been complaints across several parts of Garo Hills about shortage of food, particularly rice and dal, and the cause was identified to be because of hold-ups of convoys meant for Garo Hills inside Assam.
Police in Krishnai, Dudhnoi, Kukurkata and other entry points into Garo Hills had restricted movement of goods laden convoys citing orders from their respective administrations.
The situation came to such a pass that supply of vegetables, rice and lentils suddenly came to a halt from Dhubri and Bongaigaon districts as well as Guwahati impacting the supply.
“Yes there was a disruption but the matter has been sorted out after discussion with the DCs of Dhubri, Bongaigaon and Kamrup. Our convoys have started coming in. In fact, we have sufficient stock of rice for all five districts of Garo Hills. Almost 80 percent of people in need of ration have received their share. We have also released the PDS quota for the month of April to all beneficiaries also,” informed West Garo Hills deputy commissioner and nodal officer for relief for all Garo Hills, Ram Singh while speaking to The Shillong Times on Tuesday.
On complaints from villages in the remote region, particularly Chokpot sub-division in South Garo Hills about non-availability of food relief, Singh informed that teams have been dispatched with sufficient stock and block development officers in remote areas such as Tikrikilla have been directed to dispatch their field teams to ensure availability of stock in the villages.
Advance release of Nation Food Security stock: Deputy commissioner Ram Singh also announced that beneficiaries falling under the National Food Security Act scheme are going to be provided with their rice quota for three months in advance, namely April, May and June.
An official from the food and civil supplies department informed that allocation has already been given and only the lifting of the stock now needs to be done.
Through the NFS scheme, each beneficiary is entitled for 5 kg of rice for AAY and priority household (PH). West Garo Hills district, comprising of five blocks, has 3,50,489 beneficiaries, including 1,48,877 under Tura sadar.