The West Bengal government has decided to increase the number of people getting food grains athighly subsidised rates from three crore to more than six crore.
"To ensure food security and nutrition, more than three crore people of the state now get food grains at highly subsidised rates from the public distribution system," Chief Minister Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said.
"Now it is being expanded to cover more than six crore people, out of the 9.13 crore population of our state," she said.
"To implement the scheme in a robust manner and strengthen the public distribution system, bar coded or quick response coded digital ration cards are being issued to all the eligible beneficiaries," she said.
"We have already started distribution of such digital ration cards at Dakshin Dinajpur district from March 17, 2015. Very soon, the distribution will take place in other districts too," Banerjee said in a facebook post.
Earlier, Banerjee had said the Centre had not been able to implement a proper law for food security...There is no decision from where funding will come...But in West Bengal we have provided rice to 3.2 crore people at Rs. 2 per kg.
