Public distribution system crisis impoverishes 50,000 orphans in Kerala
Kozhikode: The crisis in the public distribution system has affected over 1,200 charitable institutions in the state. Over 50,000 children are housed in these institutions registered in different districts, which employ nearly 8,000 staff. Though some of the institutions are financially sound, the majority depend on the public distribution system, says Mr T.K. Pareekkutty Haji, general secretary, Association of Orphanages and Charitable institutions.
“Some of the institutions will be forced to reduce the quantity of food being served as they do not get liberal financial support. Many of them are banking on the public distribution system and ration shops have no rice and wheat to give them. Many complaints to the civil supplies department have not yielded any result,” said Mr Pareekkutty who was former chairman of the Orphanage Control Board. The Kerala State Retail Ration Dealers Association also confirmed that the crisis had hit the orphanages.
State working president Kadampuzha Moosa said that many of the shops were not receiving wheat and there was a scarcity of wheat flour. The supply from different FCIs was also delayed, he added. Last week, one of the orphanages in Kozhikode had approached the Kerala State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights when it was denied its share of ration for not getting registered under the Orphanage Control Board. After the commission intervened, the food and civil supplies department had directed to issue ration to all the institutions that are in the process of registration.
Govt moots wage hike to end crisis
The LDF government has decided to end the stalemate in ration distribution by giving Atti coolie (labour charge towards stocking the rice sacks in the lorry) too along with the routine labour charge. This was decided at a meeting held by food and civil supplies minister P. Thilothaman with various trade unions here on Monday. The trade unions had demanded Rs 1200 as Atti coolie. Labour minister T. P. Ramakrishnan and the food minister will present the issue before Wednesday's cabinet meeting.
“Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will approve the trade unions’ demand as the ration distribution has been badly hit since October,” said Mr Babychan Mukkadan, All-India Ration Dealers Association general secretary. The labourers under the Food Corporation of India have been claiming Rs 1600 as Atti coolie for a load of ration rice and wheat from wholesale dealers. But ever since the National Food Security Act was implemented the civil supplies was directly acquiring the rice quota from FCI.
The labourers maintained that they will not take load without getting the Atti coolie which led to the stalemate in distributing the ration quota since October. Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala has sent a letter to Governor P. Sathasivam seeking his intervention to end the stalemate in ration rice distribution.
