Free Onam food kits containing 14 items will be distributed to ration card holders from August 23 to September 7. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will formally inaugurate the distribution here on August 22, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies G.R. Anil said on Friday.
The kits will be distributed to Antyodaya Anna Yojana cardholders (yellow cards) through ration shops on August 23 and August 24 and Priority Household cardholders (pink card) from August 25 to 27. Kits for Non-Priority Subsidy cards (blue) can be collected from August 29 to August 31 and those for the Non-Priority Non-Subsidy cards (white), from September 1 to 3.
Cardholders who fail to pick up their kits on the above-mentioned dates can do so from September 4 to 7. There will be no distribution of the free kits after Onam. Ration shops will be open on September 4.
Kit contents
The contents of the kits include 500 grams of rice (unakkalari), 1 kg sugar, 500 gm green gram, 250 gm toor dal, 1 kg salt, Milma ghee, cashew nuts, chilli powder, turmeric powder, cardamom, 500 ml coconut oil, ‘sharkaravaratti’/chips, and tea powder.
Mr. Anil requested the cardholders to avoid using the ration card portability system for collecting their kits as the shops will be issued a limited number of kits. The kits will be delivered to 119 tribal 'oorus' and 890 welfare institutions directly by civil supplies officials. This year, the State government will spend around ₹425 crore for distributing free kits to 87 lakh cardholders. Around 57 lakh kits are ready at 1,400-plus packing centres. Special squads have been tasked with inspecting the quality and weight of the items.
700 loads of rice
For Onam, all AAY cardholders will be distributed 1 kg of sugar at ₹21. Non-priority cardholders will be eligible for 10 kg of rice at ₹10.9 a kg. Arrangements have been made to ensure adequate rice supplies during the Onam season in the State. The prices of rice sold through Supplyco outlets have not been hiked. Some 700 loads of rice will arrive shortly in the State, he said.
