Tribune News Service

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, November 28

With the Centre imposing a cut on the total wheat allocated to the state for the third quarter of the ongoing financial year, as many as 16 lakh beneficiaries in Punjab, under the National Food Safety Act, will not be able to get subsidised wheat.

Asking depot holders to lift stock

We are now asking the depot holders to lift the stocks. The distribution will be done to eligible beneficiaries only, once the verification is done. An official, Food and Supply Department

As against 2.36 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of wheat that is required to be distributed to 1.57 crore beneficiaries in the state, the Centre has allocated 2.12 LMT for the period between October to December.

Officials in the state Food and Supply Department said with the cut in wheat allocation, they would be able to distribute wheat to 1.41 crore beneficiaries at 5 kg per month per beneficiary.

The issue is reportedly being raised in the corridors of power. With the AAP government set to face the polls for local bodies early next year, this reduction in beneficiaries under the NFSA could hurt their political prospects. But with the cut in wheat allocation, it has become imperative for the state government to either weed out the ineligible beneficiaries or start giving them subsidised wheat, using its own expenses.

This reduction in allocation is on account of the Centre repeatedly pointing to the state government of many ineligible beneficiaries being added to the NFSA scheme by successive state governments, even when they did not fit the criterion.

The issue of several fake/ineligible beneficiaries being added in the NFSA has been raging for several years, but had been brushed under the carpet by successive governments. Each government, it is learnt, has been including its cadres under the NFSA, for political considerations.

Though the AAP government, since it came to power, has been repeatedly saying that they will start a verification drive of all beneficiaries, the verification has started only now.

Official sources say all deputy commissioners have been asked to speed up the verification drive as the wheat allocated by the Centre has to be distributed by November 30.

“We are now asking the depot holders to lift the stocks. The distribution will be done to eligible beneficiaries only, once the verification is done,” said a top official in the Food and Supply Department.