Inspection at ration shops to find ineligible: Minister GR Anil

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: About 1.5 lakh cards have so far been returned from the ineligible and the ration inspectors have been directed to inspect 10 ration shops each directly to find the ineligible who are still in the priority category, the minister informed the assembly. About 40,000 priority cards will be issued in November from vacancies on ineligible return cards.

Criteria will be prepared for issuing ration cards to the families of the disabled in connection with the Department of Social Welfare. The majority of plantation workers were included in the BPL cards. The Minister said that the ration card will be made available to all the eligible people in the ST colonies.

Ration card license: Reservation will be ensured

The Minister said that the reservation for Schedule sections will be ensured when granting ration card license. As per Kerala Rationing Order of 1966, the reservation should be eight percent for Scheduled Castes and two for Scheduled Tribes, five for differently-abled and 20 percent for women. Among 14,130 ration shops, 1130 are eligible as the SC reservation but there are only 308 shops. 822 more shops have to be sanctioned. 283 are eligible for ST reservation, but there are only 64 shops. 4945 shops are eligible for reservation sections, but there are only 3097. The reason for this is that there aren't enough applicants, the minister replied to V Sivankutty's submission.

Received a proposal for 10 Subiksha hotels

Proposal to start 10 more Subiksha Hotel, a scheme for Hunger-Free Kerala, has been received, the minister said. Proposals for hotels in Vattiyoorkavu and Nedumangad in Thiruvananthapuram district, Karthikappally and Chengannur in Alappuzha, Ettumanoor and Meenachal in Kottayam, Alathur in Palakkad, Chalakudy and Thrissur Corporation in Thrissur, and Ponnani in Malappuram District is being examined. As of now, Subiksha Hotels are functioning in the state.