Pink, yellow ration card-holders to be given cash if they have to return empty-handed

Kozhikode: Here’s heartening news for pink and yellow ration card-holders. The Government has decided to hand over money to them if they don’t get ration even after visiting a ration shop. They will get this food security allowance under the Food Security Act of 2013.

In recent times, there have been many complaints that due to the malfunctioning of the e-pos machine, several ration card-holders had to return empty-handed from ration shops. The pink and yellow card holders can now apply for the allowance if they don’t get the ration because of the malfunctioning of the e-pos machine or due to the negligence of the ration shop owner.

The ration card-holder has to submit applications to the respective Additional District Magistrate (ADM) if they don’t get the ration or get it only partially. The law stipulates that the applicant should be given money within three weeks of him/her submitting the application.

State Food Commission chairman K V Mohan Kumar said that though the Act came into being in 2013, the public is not aware about its provisions.

Last year alone, the Commission intervened in 29 such cases and let the affected get money, he said.

In Kerala there are 41 lakh cards in the yellow and pink categories with 1.54 crore members. Pink ration card is issued to financially well-off peope only for identification purpose. Yellow cards are issued to families living below the poverty line (BPL).