Date:10/05/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/05/10/stories/2005051010490500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Ration cards for all eligible persons: Minister

Special Correspondent

SRIKAKULAM: All eligible persons in the State will get new ration cards. Polling station-wise meetings will be held for selection of candidates and representatives of all political parties and the media will be invited for the meetings to ensure transparency.

Speaking to presspersons at Palasa, about 70 km from here, on Monday the Minister for Civil Supplies, G. Vijaya Rama Rao, who came here to participate in the Praja Patham programme, said the bio-metric method would be followed for issue of new ration cards. This would ensure that there were no irregularities.

Pilot survey

A pilot survey had already been conducted in the municipalities where new ration cards would be issued initially. Ward-wise camps would be held for distribution of cards in municipalities.

He said steps would also be taken to streamline the public distribution system.

Asked if there would be any additional burden pertaining to the issue of additional cards, he said the burden might not be much because bogus cards would be weeded out.

At present there were 1.40-crore white and 58-lakh pink cardholders. The additional requirement might not be much, he said.

Priority to drinking water

Earlier, participating in the Praja Patham programme in Mogalipadu and Padmananbhapuram, the Minister said top priority was being given to provision of drinking water and prevention of labour migration.

Under the `mee samasya--maa parishkaaram' (your problem-our solution) programme we have been trying to solve problems of people at their doorstep, he said.

The Minister who is in charge Minister for Srikakulam district also said that he would sanction houses to all eligible persons in the district within four years.