Thiruvananthapuram: The distribution of free Onam food kits for ration-card holders has started in the state.
Minister G R Anil launched the state-level drive at a ration shop at Edapazhanji in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday. Minister Antony Raju presided over the function.
In the first phase, the kits will be distributed to those in the Antyodaya Anna Yojana category (yellow ration card-holders).
The food kits will be distributed in the following order: For yellow ration card-holders - till August 3, pink (PHH) - August 4 to 7, Blue (NPS) - August 9 to 12, and White (NPNS) – August 13 to 16.
The items in the kits and the quantities: 1kg sugar, 1kg Sabari salt, 1kg wheat flour, 500ml coconut oil, 500gm green grams, 250gm tur dal, tea, chilli/chilli powder, turmeric, 100gm each of banana chips and sharkara varatti (banana chips coated with jaggery), 180gm each of semiya and palada or 500gm of unnakalari, 50gm cashew nuts, 20gm cardamom, 50ml ghee, and 1 Sabari bath soap. The kit distribution will be completed on August 16.
Taking into account the festival season, 1-litre additional kerosene will be given to those in the Antyodaya Anna Yojana category (yellow ration card) and an extra half a litre for other ration card-holders.
Leftover kits
The SupplyCo has begun steps to take back the over 1 lakh leftover kits at the ration shops. These kits were for the month of June. While 85.29 lakh kits were delivered to the shops in May, only 83.62 lakh kits were given in June - a drop of over 1.66 lakh kits. When the June kit distribution ended on July 29, over 14,000 ration shops had leftover kits.
