Panaji: Ration cards of beneficiaries who have not collected their monthly ration for six months have been temporarily suspended and not permanently cancelled, said Jayant Tari, director of civil supplies, on Tuesday.The clarification comes amid concerns over the action taken against beneficiaries who have not drawn their entitled foodgrains for an extended period. He was speaking while newly inducted civil supplies minister Sankalp Amonkar held a meeting on Tuesday.Speaking at the meeting, Amonkar assured that pending payments of Rs 3,000 for LPG cylinders under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana will be released to beneficiaries within the next 15 days.Amonkar said the department had received more than 2.5 lakh applications under the scheme, of which payments had already been disbursed to nearly one lakh beneficiaries. The remaining eligible applicants are expected to receive their pending payments within the stipulated 15-day period.He also indicated that govt would look into the concerns of fair price shop owners, particularly their demand for a higher commission. He said he would make efforts to increase the commission paid to FPS operators.
