Hills to receive due foodgrain

Pranesh Sarkar, TT, 2 November 2017, Calcutta: The Mamata Banerjee government has decided to release by the end of November foodgrain due to nearly 4 lakh beneficiaries in the hills because of the strike called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

"Ration shops remained closed for 14 weeks in the hills since early June. The state government had tried to send foodgrain to the hills, but all attempts failed because of the shutdown. It has been decided that cheap grain due to the hill people would be released by the end of November so that the beneficiaries are not deprived," said a senior state government official.

The state government gives 11kg of foodgrain at Rs 2 a kg every month to nearly 4 lakh families in the hills.

Sources said the state government would soon come up with advertisements asking the beneficiaries to submit their claims for the months when the ration shops remained closed, along with valid documents like ration cards.

Sources at Nabanna said the state government felt that it was an opportunity to win over the hill populace as they were finding it tough to earn livelihood after the strike was called off officially.

"Government projects like 100 days' job scheme are yet to kick off and tourist flow to the hills hasn't resume after the strike was called off. So, a large section of the population in the hills is in trouble these days. The government has decided to help those people with cheap food grains," said another official.