Goa’s civil supplies department has clarified that ration cards of beneficiaries who have not collected their monthly ration for six months were only temporarily suspended and have not been permanently cancelled, addressing concerns over continued access to subsidised foodgrains.
Director of Civil Supplies Jayant Tari said the clarification during a meeting held on Tuesday by newly inducted civil supplies minister Sankalp Amonkar. The department’s statement relates to beneficiaries whose ration cards became inactive after they did not draw their entitled foodgrains for an extended period.
The distinction between suspension and cancellation is significant for households dependent on the public distribution system. A temporary suspension indicates that the cards have not been removed permanently, while the department’s clarification seeks to address concerns about the status of beneficiaries affected by the action. The report did not specify the process or timeline for restoring the suspended cards.
The meeting also covered pending payments under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. Amonkar said beneficiaries awaiting payments of Rs 3,000 for LPG cylinders would receive the money within 15 days.
The civil supplies department has received more than 2.5 lakh applications under the scheme, according to the minister. Payments have already been disbursed to nearly one lakh beneficiaries, while the remaining eligible applicants are expected to receive their pending payments within the stipulated period.
The commitment places the department under a defined timeline to clear the outstanding payments. The report did not provide a district-wise breakdown of the pending applications or state how many beneficiaries remain eligible for payment after scrutiny.
Amonkar also said the government would examine concerns raised by fair price shop owners, particularly their demand for a higher commission. He said he would make efforts to increase the commission paid to fair price shop operators.
Fair price shops are the local delivery points through which beneficiaries collect their entitled ration. Their concerns therefore form part of the same administrative chain that links beneficiary records, ration distribution and the operation of the public distribution system in Goa.
The department’s immediate commitments are to maintain the temporary status of the affected ration cards, release pending eligible Ujjwala payments within 15 days and consider the commission issue raised by fair price shop operators.
