AIPWA and AICCTU submitted a memorandum on 14 July 2020 addressed to the Chief Minister on the issue of rations via the ration Officer in Udaipur.
Speaking on the occasion, AIPWA State Secretary Sudha Chaudhury said that the Lockdown has been in place for about 4 months now in India as well as the state of Rajasthan, but despite the Central government’s claims about the unlocking process the ground reality is that it will take much more time for economic activities to come back to normalcy. Small traders like daily wage earners, pushcart vendors, footpath vendors, tempo drivers etc. are struggling for livelihood. The spread of Corona is also consistently increasing but even in the midst of the crisis after just 2 to 3 months the ration distributed under the National Food Security (NFS) has been once again reduced to 5 kg per person, and payment for it is being collected as before. The reason for this, we are told, is that even after announcement of the Central quota the wheat has not arrived. Our demand from the State government is that necessary steps should be taken for this and 10 kg wheat per person should be given free of cost with immediate effect under NFS as it was being done during the Lockdown period.
AIPWA leader Farhat Bano said that many people outside the ambit of NFS (non-NFS families) have not been able to complete their registration due to Lockdown conditions and the State government not giving enough time; thus, many needy families have not been able to register for NFS. The Prime Minister has announced that the distribution of 5 kg wheat and 1 kg dal under the Garib Kalyan Yojana will be continued till November. Keeping this in view we appeal to the State government to keep registration open so that needy families can register themselves in NFS.
AICCTU State Secretary Saurabh Naruka said that unemployment is at a record high and in these conditions when workers have no work in hand government ration of 5 kg wheat and 1 kg dal is just not enough. Other essentials like 4 kg dal, oil, sugar, tea, masalas etc. should be disbursed free to all needy people, NFS as well as non-NFS. CPIML District Secretary Chandradev Ola said that many needy families with ration cards are not getting rations regularly as they are not online and also due to other technical problems. The State government should set up special camps to make their ration cards online and to ensure that they get their rations regularly.
Present on the occasion were leaders including CPIML State Committee member Shankar Lal Chaudhury, Afsana, Rukhsana, Rihana, Shamim and others.
