Shortage of Atta packets persists at many ration shops in Kerala

Kollam: The irregular distribution of atta among the yellow and pink ration card holders is raising concerns. It is reported that the atta stocks are arriving at rations shops by the middle of the month. The ration shop owners complain that they were receiving only 70-80 percent of the total atta stocks required for distribution. As a result, card holders who arrive at the ration shops during the beginning of the month, receive only the rice without atta packet. 

It is said that in most of the ration shops, atta runs out of stock by the end of the month. In case there are pending stocks in the ration shops, deductions will be made in the next month's allocations.       

It is also reported that expired stocks of atta remain undistributed in several ration shops across the state. Unions of ration shop owners allege conspiracy in distribution of atta. It should be noted that at present the yellow and pink ration card holders are given three kilograms of wheat and two packets of atta instead of five kilograms of wheat which was given earlier. 

Due to the discrepancies in distribution, people who visit the ration shops by the month-end or at the start of a new month mostly leave the shops without wheat and atta. If the authorities revert to the earlier practice of distributing just five kilograms of wheat instead of distributing a combination of wheat and atta packets as it is done now, the issue will be sorted to an extent. Wheat can be cleaned, powdered and used accordingly by the consumers.