2.6 Lakh Clusters For PDS Rice Distribution In AP

AMARAVATI: As many as 2.60 lakhs of clusters were set up in Andhra Pradesh for door delivery of ration to the people. Of the total clusters, 1,93,488 are in rural areas.  There are 50 to 75 families under each cluster. The Andhra Pradesh government has taken this decision to strengthen the public distribution system and also to curb corruption. Each cluster will be served by one village volunteer. The mapping of ration cards in the state has been almost completed. The door delivery of quality rice through the public distribution system, launched as a pilot project in Srikakulam, has been going on at a good pace. Buoyed by this, the civil supplies department officials are planning to implement this policy of door delivery of quality rice through the PDS system across the state.

Kona Shashidhar, ex-officio secretary of the Civil Supplies Department, said details of the clusters were being taken from the village secretariats and rice cards were being allotted on the basis of them.

About 13,370 mobile units will be made available by the Department of Civil Supplies for the door-to- delivery of quality rice.
Village volunteers will go to the homes of the cardholders in each cluster and weigh and deliver quality rice to the beneficiaries.
All the additional costs for the distribution process will be borne by the government. If this policy is made available, all 1.49 crore cardholders in the state will get quality rice within two to three days.