The Bihar government has taken a major decision to help poor and elderly ration card holders
. With this new move, lakhs of senior citizens in the state will no longer need to stand in long lines at ration shops to collect their monthly food grains.
The Food and Consumer Protection Department is preparing a new system that will allow ration benefits to be delivered directly to the homes of eligible families.
Around 28 lakh consumers across Bihar are expected to benefit from this scheme.
Special Facility for People Above 80 Years
According to government data, Bihar has nearly 6.87 lakh primary ration card holders who are above 80 years of age. These families together include around 28 lakh consumers.
Keeping their difficulties in mind, the state government has decided that families where all members are above 80 years old will now receive wheat
and rice at their doorstep every month. The ration will be delivered according to the fixed government quota.
This step is expected to give huge relief to elderly and helpless people who face problems visiting ration shops regularly.
Districts Asked to Prepare Lists
The Food and Consumer Protection Department has already started work on the scheme. All districts in Bihar have been asked to prepare a list of ration card holder families where members are aged 80 years or more.
At the same time, the department is also preparing proper guidelines and rules so that ration can be delivered smoothly without any trouble for the beneficiaries.
Pilot Project to Start in Three Districts
The government will not launch the scheme across Bihar immediately. First, it will be started as a pilot project in three selected districts.
Officials will study the results and check whether the system works properly. After that, the government plans to expand the doorstep ration delivery service to all districts of Bihar.
This new initiative is being seen as an important step towards helping elderly citizens live with more comfort and dignity.