Centre convenes meeting of State Food Ministers on PDS modernisation A concerted move by the Centre to encourage the States to digitise ration cards has enabled it to weed out 2.96 crore Bogus Ration Cards from the public distribution system. Of an estimated 10.56 crore ration cards, the number of cards has come down to 7.6 crores, Union Minister of States for Food and Consumer Affairs K.V. Thomas told journalists here. Bogus...
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Sonia Gandhi's family residing at Ulhasnagar? by Pradeep Gupta
A social activist has found a ration card on the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) premises that was issued in the names of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul and daughter Priyanka, bearing their Delhi address. The family's annual income was shown as Rs 30,000. The ration card was issued by the Thane rationing office. The ration card was issued despite Sonia Gandhi's address being mentioned as Delhi's 10 Janpath, indicating...
More »Government to take states on board over food security bill
-IANS Still nursing the sting of ally Trinamool Congress opposing the Lokpal Bill in the Rajya Sabha citing issues of federal autonomy, the United Progressive Alliance ( UPA) government wants to take the states into confidence on Sonia Gandhi's dream project - the National Food Security Bill, 2011. The bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha during the winter session of parliament last year and will now go to the standing committee...
More »Government hides more than it reveals in the Food Security Bill by Gargi Parsai
The uncertainty over the Lokpal Bill has overshadowed an equally significant National Food Security Bill, which was cleared by the Union Cabinet last week and is to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. The Bill has been in the eye of the storm over targeted coverage of beneficiaries as against universalisation in view of the immense ramifications for the aam aadmi , struggling with rising food prices. In the second...
More »PDS in peril by R Ramakumar
The promotion of the PDS as an Aadhaar application would fundamentally alter its form and character. NO scheme of the Indian government would be transformed more fundamentally by Aadhaar than the public distribution system (PDS). The nature of this transformation appears to be taking the form of a virtual dismantling of the PDS; even if a skeletal fair price shop (FPS, or ration shop) system continues to exist, it is likely...
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