New Delhi, Aug 18 (PTI) Delhi Food and Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain on Wednesday chaired a meeting with representatives of the Delhi Sarkari Ration Dealers Sangh (DSRDS) to address issues related to distribution of free rations to beneficiaries in the city.

An official statement issued after the meeting said the minister also heard the grievances of the distributors.

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Hussain said the full entitlement of rations under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) should be distributed to beneficiaries, and fair price shop (FPS) dealers should put on display eligibility information related to the "One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC)" scheme.

The ONORC scheme was implemented in Delhi in July.

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The meeting was attended by the Food and Supplies commissioner and senior officers, and representatives of fair price shop dealers association.

Hussain said the Delhi government has increased the margin money from Rs 70 per quintal to Rs 200 per quintal for foodgrains, which is one of the highest in the country, the statement said.

"The Delhi government is conscious of the concern of FPS dealers and margin money for both the schemes i.e. PMGKAY and NFSA which are being dispersed in a timely manner," Hussain said in the statement.

The minister urged the representatives of the FPS dealers association to distribute the full entitlement under the NFSA and the PMGKAY to the beneficiaries free of cost.

"Strict action will be taken against those FPS dealers who refuse the distribution of complete ration under NFSA and PMGKAY. Beneficiaries should not face any complication in obtaining free ration and they should not be denied free ration by imposing technical reasons," he said in a statement.

The minister directed FPS owners to ensure proper internet connectivity and maintain adequate networking arrangements so that no technical difficulty arises in the distribution of free rations to the beneficiaries through e-PoS devices.

Hussain also stressed on the need for timely delivery of foodgrains from Food Corporation of India (FCI) godowns to fair price shops in a smooth, uninterrupted and time-bound manner.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)