
Old age pensioners holding family cards must collect their Deepavali sarees or dhotis from designated fair price shops by Saturday, November 7. The distribution covers 24,49,366 sarees and 10,88,001 dhotis this year.
Beneficiaries are required to appear in person with their family cards. A government press release has instructed officials to ensure timely distribution of the clothing items.
The instruction directly affects tens of lakhs of old age pensioners across the state who depend on fair price shops for this annual distribution. The press release places the onus on pensioners to collect in person, without clarifying whether proxy collection or home delivery will be allowed for those who are bedridden or infirm. The administration has given itself until 7 November to complete the process, but has not stated what happens to uncollected items after that deadline. The distribution total of about 35.37 lakh garments implies significant logistical pressure on fair price shop dealers in a short window.
Source: thehindu.com
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