Puducherry deposits Rs 35 crore into bank accounts for pending ration rice

Puducherry has credited two months of pending rice money directly into bank accounts for local ration card holders, totaling 35 crore rupees. The region has 2.54 lakh ration cards in total, with the state government previously supplying free monthly rice quotas of 20 kilos for red cards and 10 kilos for yellow cards. Free rice distribution had stalled for the past six months. During the previous assembly session, Chief Minister Rangasamy announced that the government would cash-transfer the pending six-month allocation directly to the bank accounts of women household heads in phased installments, starting with the first two months. Under this rollout, funds are actively transferring for a total of 2,54,779 ration cards. Red card holders receive 860 rupees per month, amounting to 1,720 rupees for two months, while yellow card holders receive 430 rupees monthly, totaling 860 rupees for the same period. The government has spent 35 crore 71 lakh 37 thousand 790 rupees on this initial phase.

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Civil supplies department officials state that the money for the remaining four months will reach accounts before the end of this month ahead of Deepavali. Authorities are also currently processing tender procedures to procure free rice for physical distribution through ration shops alongside restarting card modification services.