Food kits to be given till July, will extend if there is a need to extend, should exclude those who don’t need it, says food minister

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Free food kits would continue if needed but those who don’t need it should be excluded, opined Food Minister G R Anil. He also asked people to surrender priority ration cards if they don’t belong to categories eligible for the same and return it by June 30.

Arrangements have been made to provide food kits till July. If there is a need to extend this, the cabinet will then take a decision. There have been suggestions from all sides that it should be given only to those who need it. All this has come to our notice. The matter has been brought to the notice of the chief minister, he said.

Those having income and if they don’t need the kit, a system will be brought in to reject it. The plan for it has been submitted before the chief minister. The decision of the cabinet is to provide kits to all, he said.

Giving food kits to children is under active consideration. The government is actively considering giving help to ration shop employees who lost their lives due to Covid. Almost forty people working in ration shops have died of the pandemic. The government is considering a plan to help their families, he added.