Hyderabad: Delay in distribution of ration

Hyderabad: Amid the Covid-19 pandemic availing the ration on time has become a serious concern for middle-class families, some ration card holders have accused the Telangana government of not distributing rations at the fair price shops from the beginning of May.

They even pointed out while the State government had distributed food grains and other essential commodities to a large number of people without ration cards during the Covid-19 nationwide lockdown, this time during the second wave of the Covid-19 when Telangana government has imposed lockdown, no such scheme has been rolled out.

This is adding to the economic distress of the poor who have lost their sources of livelihood during the pandemic.The delay in distribution of rations is forcing people to buy food grains in the market at non-subsidized prices.

In the previous year lockdown, the State government supplies free and Rs 1,500 cash for 87.59 lakh white ration card holders. "We poor and needy are expecting financial assistance from the State government in the wake of lockdown," said a Mohamed Khalid, who had lost his job and dependent on ration.

From the past few days, many ration card holders are seen waiting hours and hours outside the fair price shops to get grains and rice. Many ration dealers in the city are facing the impact of the second wave of Covid-19, a ration dealer Manohar Reddy in the Khairatabad area said, "With restrictions the supply of ration has been affected, due to which in several ration shops in the area have come to a standstill."

Another ration dealer from Koti told that they had closed the shop for two days with ration didn't arriving at the shop.

In Moghalpura old city, on Monday morning a woman along with her children was waiting outside the ration shop, she said "I came early morning today, earlier there was a lengthy line and I could not get ration, this year it has been too tough for poor as we are facing enormous hardship due to the second wave and now that the lockdown has been imposed, I am expecting help from the government."

She further said that her husband who works as a helper in parcel service with restrictions has lost livelihood, with this her family is completely dependent upon ration.