Bihar govt launches Ration-coupon scheme for poor

Patna, Jan 26(UNI) To check the irregularities and blackmarketing in the Public Distribution System (PDS) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today launched a ration-kerosene coupon scheme for the people living Below Poverty Line (BPL).

While inaugurating the scheme at Jamaluddin Panchayat of Danapur subdivision, Mr Kumar distributed the coupons among 344 beneficiaries saying that the government had given them a 'strong tool'.

He said as the coupons would be distributed in gramsabhas at 8.5 thousand panchayats of the state till February and would be valid from March 2007 to February 2008.

The beneficiaries would get food grains and kerosene through PDS shops on these coupons and the PDS owners would lift the food garins and kerosene as per the number of coupons available with them, he added.

Mr Kumar further said the government was contemplating to increase the numbers of PDS and a policy decision would be taken to open a PDS shop at the population of 1200 in urban areas and at the population of 1800 in the rural areas.

He admitted that several poor people were left out of the BPL list because of the laid standards and directions of the centre adding that 13 points fixed by the centre for inclduing a person in the BPL would be increased to 16 so that no poor was left out.

UNI