Diwali brings little cheer to nearly 14 lakh ration cardholders in the district who avail themselves of foodgrains through the Public Distribution System (PDS) in the above poverty line (APL) category. These cardholders have been facing a shortage of supplies throughout the year and things have not improved during the festive season. It also does not cut any ice with them that Friday was World Food Day.

Even the sugar promised at Rs 20 a kg by the state government last month through the PDS has only reached a fraction of these cardholders. It was only last week that Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said during an election rally in Pune that the faulty public distribution system was largely responsible for the food grain shortage and a revamp of the system was the need of the hour, with the National Food Security Act to be passed soon. Once the Act is in place, the government is looking at providing 25 kg of rice or wheat per month to the poor at Rs 3 per kg.

Kisan Shinde, a beneficiary under the APL category, said his family had not been getting food grains for the past five months. “Even during Diwali, there is not enough stock at the ration shops. There has been no change in the situation over the past five months.”

Pushpa Waghmode, another APL holder, said her family had not yet got the two-kg sugar announced by the state government. “Diwali is here and we are yet to get sugar through the PDS.”

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