Piyush Goyal interacts with beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana from Himachal

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 25

Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday inquired about the role of middlemen in distribution of free ration to poor people in the state and asked the beneficiaries to suggest ways to improve the public distribution system.

Interacting virtually with the beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana from Shimla, he established an instant rapport and asked them if they had any grievances regarding the supply of free and subsidised ration and benefits of other welfare schemes.

“I have a deep connection with Himachal as my grandmother is from Sabathu in Solan district,” said Goyal.

Beneficiaries of the yojna expressed satisfaction over the supply of free ration, but one beneficiary Nisha Thakur from remote Dodra Kwar area of Shimla district complained about problem in Internet facility, which effected the education of children during the pandemic.

She also urged that a 12-km road be constructed towards Uttrakhand side in Dodra Kwar so that they have connectivity as the area remains cut off from the rest of the state from November to April due to snowfall.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said that he had recently visited the area and assured that the needful be done.

Another beneficiary Saroj Kumari from Hamirpur informed that the money saved by getting free ration was used for online studies of children while Usha Devi from Chamba said that free ration has helped sustain the poor during Covid 19 pandemic when there was no work.

Chairamani from Mandi, Krishna Devi said that the yojna has helped the farmers in transportation of their produce to mandis’.

Krishna Devi from Bilaspur and Guddi Devi from Kangra thanked the Prime Minister and Jai Ram Thakur for providing free ration to the poor and said that 15 kg wheat, 10 kg rice, oil, pulses and salt was given under the yojna.