Free ration for one lakh more families; priority cards held by financially able to be allocated to new families

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: About one lakh more families in Kerala will be given priority cards with free ration. The government had taken back 62,156 priority cards that were being held by the financially able without entitlement. This process is ongoing. By the time the mustering is completed on April 31, the number of cards that will be returned will be about one lakh. That is why these cards are being issued to the economically weak.

After the mustering is over, the information of those holding priority cards illegally will be collected and they will be excluded.

More than 12 lakh people are yet to be mustered. A special drive will be conducted for them in February.

Applications will be invited soon to allocate the 62,156 priority cards currently in the hands of the government. Those who get priority cards before March 31 need to muster before 31.

Ration allocation will decrease if the number of cards decreases

The ration allocation from the center will be affected if the number of priority cards decreases. That is why the eligible people are identified and the vacant cards are allocated to them.

• Ration allocation received after the implementation of the Food Security Act: 14.25 lakh tons
• Kerala state demanding: 16.50 lakh tons

Current priority cards

AAY (Yellow)..................... 5,83,524

PHH (Pink)................ 35,97,798

Ration allocation

Yellow card holder gets 30 kg of rice and 3 kg of wheat free, two kg of atta at the rate of one rupee

Each member of the Pink card gets 4 kg of rice and 1 kg of wheat free.