Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday announced that the ‘Padithara Khatri’ scheme would be launched on Saturday to ensure proper supply of foodgrains to ration cardholders.
Fair price shops should be kept open from the first to the 10th of every month from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and provide essential commodities to the beneficiaries, Mr. Siddaramaiah said.
He was speaking at a function organised at the Netaji Stadium in Gowribidnur in Chickballapur district.
The Chief Minister laid the foundation stone and inaugurated various development projects of Gowribidnur Assembly constituency at the function.
He inaugurated the Dr. H. Narasimahiah Kalabhavan, constructed at a cost of Rs. 6 crore, in Gowribidnur town.
Action will be taken if fair price shops failed to adhere to these guidelines, Mr. Siddaramaiah warned. As many as 60 of the 169 promises made in the election manifesto of the Congress have been fulfilled, he said.
The Chief Minister criticised the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party for opposing the Yettinahole water supply project.
Referring to the bandh observed in the district on Friday, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that he did not know why the bandh call was given.
“The government has not rejected the G.S. Paramashivaiah report. It was committed to supplying drinking water to Kolar and Chickballapur districts,” he added.
Earlier, Mr. Siddaramaiah laid the foundation stone for the Gandhi-Nehru H. Narasimhaiah International Rural Development Centre at Amaradhama in Hosur village and participated in the golden jubilee celebrations of National High School.
Union Minister for Petroleum and Forests and Environment M. Veerappa Moily, Gowribidnur MLA and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly N.H. Shivashankar Reddy, Ministers D.K. Shivakumar and Dinesh Gundu Rao and Chickballapur MLA K. Sudhakar participated.
Toll free number
Tumkur Staff Correspondent reports:
Addressing a press conference in Tumkur on Friday, Deputy Commissioner K.S. Sathya Murthy has said that beneficiaries can buy foodgrains between the 1st and 10th of every month from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and between the 11th and 30th/31st from 8 a.m. to noon and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Complaints can be lodged on toll free number 1967. He said that for the effective implementation of the scheme, nodal officers would be appointed at the gram panchayat level.
He said that action had been taken against 23 fair price shops and three retail kerosene shops in the district based on complaints after the launch of the Anna Bhagya scheme. Deputy Director of Food and Civil Supplies Ramappa was present.
