Pune drought relief measures will now allow eligible residents, including people who have migrated for work or water, to collect free foodgrains from any convenient fair price shop across the district’s 10 drought-affected talukas, district officials said on October 24.
The arrangement follows the declaration of drought in 304 talukas across Maharashtra after rainfall deficits and other factors during the June-to-September period. The state Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department has issued directions for the uninterrupted distribution of foodgrains to eligible beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act, 2013.
Pune District Supply Officer Mahesh Sudhalkar said steps were being taken to ensure that no eligible family was deprived of its entitlement because of drought-related migration. Agricultural labourers and other residents who leave their usual villages in search of employment or water will be able to collect foodgrains from a fair price shop other than their regular outlet, using the portability facility under the One Nation, One Ration Card scheme.
Under the system, beneficiaries are authenticated biometrically through electronic point-of-sale devices before foodgrains are distributed. This allows eligible ration-card holders to access their entitlements from a different location without depending entirely on the shop linked to their home address.
The district administration has also been instructed to process requests from people in drought-affected talukas who are not currently covered by the National Food Security Scheme. Depending on eligibility criteria, income and the availability of foodgrains, such applicants may be considered for inclusion in the Antyodaya Anna Yojana or the priority household category.
Officials have been directed to complete Aadhaar seeding for all members listed on ration cards and make foodgrains available promptly to eligible beneficiaries. The instructions also call for advance planning so that lifting and distribution under the National Food Security Scheme are completed within the prescribed timelines.
The measure places portability at the centre of drought-linked food security administration. Migration can separate households from the fair price shops where their entitlements are normally accessed, making the ability to use another outlet an important operational requirement during a crisis. The government’s directions specifically ask authorities to ensure that migration does not result in the loss of foodgrain entitlements.
The administration has further been told to act against black marketing, illegal hoarding and other forms of malpractice in the distribution system. Under the Mission Sudhar initiative, officials are also expected to take action on issuing ration cards to eligible beneficiaries in drought-affected areas, while accounting for the target of cancelled ration cards in the district.
The directions will require local supply officials and fair price shop operators to coordinate beneficiary identification, Aadhaar-linked authentication, stock lifting and distribution. The immediate implementation focus is on ensuring that eligible families in the 10 drought-affected talukas can access their foodgrain allocation even when drought-induced movement takes them away from their usual ration shop.
