Start door delivery of ration to needy, Centre tells states
New Delhi, June 29: Even as the Centre is yet to clear the Delhi government's proposal on door delivery of subsidised foodgrain, it told the states on Friday to implement a similar programme to prevent starvation deaths.
Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan asked the states to deliver ration to the doors of PDS beneficiaries unable to visit Fair Price Shops (FPS).
Addressing a gathering of state Food and Civil Supplies Ministers, Paswan said: "We do not want any deaths due to starvation. Those who are incapable of going to FPS should get ration at their doors. Assign your staff for delivery.
"If you cannot carry out door delivery, ask the beneficiaries to assign someone to receive the ration on their behalf."
An 11-year-old girl in Jharkhand's Simdega district had allegedly died of starvation last year as her family did not get foodgrain from the PDS shop as their ration card was not linked with the Aadhaar card.
Paswan said that about 81 crore persons in the country were getting foodgrain at subsidised rates -- rice at Rs 3 per kg, wheat at Rs 2 per kg and coarse grains at Re 1 per kg -- which will remained unchanged till 2019.
"We have issued guidelines to the states. We have told them that there should not be any death due to starvation. The central government spends a huge sum of money to give up to 90 per cent subsidy on foodgrain," he told reporters later.
Paswan said that he welcomed the Delhi government's plan to deliver ration at the door of intended beneficiaries but expressed concern about the FPS dealers.
"It is a good thing that they want to deliver ration at the doors. But what will happen to FPS dealers? If other states want to do it, it is welcome as we will be happy that the poor get ration at their homes," he said.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had this month held a protest at the Lieutenant Governor's office over the "rejection" of the door delivery of ration scheme.
Paswan also said that sugarcane arrears had come down after the government took some measures, including a Rs 7,000 crore relief package to the sugar sector.
Cane arrears had increased to Rs 22,654 crore as of June 1.
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Udupi: Two men from Belthangady awarded life imprisonment for attempt to murder a woman in 2022
Udupi: Two men from Belthangady have been sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in Udupi for attempting to murder a woman in Manchikumeri in 2022.
The sentenced men, Mithun and Nagesh Poojary, are learned to have attempted to murder Sumathi, wife of Ramanath Rai, a resident of Manchikumeri, who had a Nandini Milk Parlour at Tiger Circle, Manipal.
On February 18, 2022, Sumathi was reportedly alone at home when, at around 7 pm, Mithun, learned to be her nephew, and his friend Poojary came to the house. As Sumathi opened the door, the duo barged in and tried to strangulate her with an intention of murdering her. Sumathi reportedly lost consciousness under the attack.
The men packed her body in a sack and were then putting the sack into a suitcase to carry the body out, when they noticed that Rai and neighbours had arrived. They are learned to have opened the door when Rai knocked the door and then tried to escape. They were, however, caught by the neighbours and handed over to the police.
Further, Sumathi was found by the group in an unconscious state inside the suitcase in the house. She was rushed to the Manipal Hospital and learned to have recovered after a week of medical treatment.
A case had been registered at the Manipal Police Station.
The Udupi Principal District and Sessions Court judge Kiran S Gangannavar, who heard the case, has declared both Mithun and Poojary guilty in the case. He has awarded them life imprisonment, fined them Rs 20,000 each and, under Column 325, sentenced them to rigorous imprisonment of 5 years and fined them Rs 5,000 each.
Judge Gangannavar has directed that, of the fine, Rs 45,000 be handed to the attack victim Sumathi as relief.
Jayarama Shetty represented the government as Public Prosecutor.
