Setback For Beneficiaries: Gujarat Slashes Monthly Subsidised Rice Quota From 3 kg To Just 1 kg Per Person
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
In a major blow to lakhs of low-income families grappling with rising food inflation, the Gujarat government has significantly reduced the monthly allocation of subsidised rice under the Public Distribution System (PDS). Fair price shop beneficiaries across the state, who previously received 3 kg of rice per person each month, will now be entitled to just 1 kg per head starting this month.
The sudden reduction in essential foodgrain supplies has sparked sharp concern among ration card holders and welfare activists, coming at a time when household budgets are already stretched by soaring kitchen expenses.
Subsidised Grain Quota Slashed
Under the revised distribution guidelines implemented across state-run fair price shops, the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department has scaled down individual entitlements. While cardholders previously relied on a 3 kg monthly quota of rice per person to meet their staple nutritional needs, the official allocation has been curtailed by two-thirds.
Local ration dealers have begun implementing the new quota system for cardholders visiting fair price outlets for their monthly supply. Officials have not cited an explicit operational reason for the sharp quota revision, though the decision follows broader re-alignments in state grain stocks and procurement schedules.
Impact On Low-Income Households
The decision comes amid sustained inflationary pressures on everyday food items, hitting economically vulnerable families the hardest. For households that depend heavily on government-subsidised foodgrains to manage daily meals, a 2 kg reduction per person represents a steep drop in essential food security.
Community groups and cardholders have expressed deep worry over the move, noting that purchasing additional rice from the open market at retail prices will severely strain their monthly budgets. Many are urging the state government to reconsider the cut and restore the original 3 kg per person quota to cushion families against the impacts of food inflation.
