Food and Civil Supply Department
Introduction
The department of Food and Civil Supplies came into existence as a separate unit in the State from March, 1965. It was a part of Agriculture, Food and Cooperation Department prior to this arrangement. The organization of Weights and Measures separated from Industry, Energy and Labour Department and merged with the department from December, 1977. The department mainly deals with the demand and supply of various essential commodities in the open market as well as Public Distribution System. The basic responsibility of the department is to enforce of various control orders passed in respect of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 for price stabilization and matters pertaining to weights and measures.
Main Objectives Of The Department
♦To strengthen the Targeted Public Distribution System.
♦To ensure an easy availability of Essential Commodities at reasonable rates.
♦To create storage facility for public distribution system;.
♦To promote and protect the rights of consumers by way of implementation of Consumer Protection Act, 1986.
Structure Of The Department
Following sub-sections are working under administrative control of this department –
1)Office of the State Commission and District Fora
2)Organization of Rationing in Mumbai – Thane Rationing Area
3)Offices of supplies under administrative control of Divisional Commissioners and District Collectors
4)Office of the Director, Civil Supplies ( Godown and Transport ), Mumbai
5)Office of the Commissioner of Supplies
6)Divisional & District Offices under the Controller of Weights and Measures
7)Office of the Financial Advisor and Deputy Secretary.
Targeted Public Distribution System
Under the Minimum Common Need Programme of Government of India, the poor families in the State were provided food grains at subsidized rate w. e. f. 1 st June, 1997. BPL Yellow rationcard holders are provided with 35 Kgs foodgrains (Wheat + Rice) and APL Saffron rationcard holders are provided with 15 Kgs foodgrains (Wheat + Rice )
Tricolor Ration Cards Scheme
The affluent families do not purchase foodgrains under PDS and therefore with a view to curb diversion of foodgrains and provide more foodgrains to the needy families, the State Govt. introduced Tricolor ration card scheme w. e. f. 1st May, 1999. Accordingly, as per following criterias 3 different colored ration cards are issued in the State :-
Yellow Ration Cards
Under Targeted Public Distribution System the following criteria are applied :-
Families having annual income up to Rs. 15,000/- having been included in IRDP List of 1997-98.
None of the members in the family should be a doctor or a lawyer or an architect or a chartered accountant.
None of the members in the family should be a professional tax payer, a sales tax payer or an income tax payer or eligible to pay such tax.
The family should not posses residential telephone.
The family should not posses four wheeler vehicle.
None of the family members should hold total two hectare rain fed or one hectare semi-irrigated or 1/2 hectare irrigated (double in drought prone talukas) land.
The Govt. has taken decision to issue BPL Ration Card, on temporary basis to all the Vidi workers, all members of Pardhi & Kolhati community vide GR dated 9.9.2008.
The Govt. has taken decision to issue BPL Ration Card, on temporary basis to the Abandoned women vide G.R. dated 29.9.2008 & 21.2.2009 and amendment has been made to the same vide G.R. dated 17.1.2011
The Govt. has taken decision to issue BPL Ration Card on temporary basis to all the non-working cloth mills,cotton mills & sugar factories workers vide GR dated 17.3.2003.
Antyodaya Anna Yojana(AAY)
In the state Antyodaya Anna Yojana has been started w.e.f. 1st May 2001 Under this scheme 35 Kgs foodgrains ( Wheat at the rate- Rs. 2.00 per Kg+ Rice at rate Rs. 3.00 per Kg ) is distributed to the AAY cardholders.
Under this scheme the families are selected from following BPL categories..
Land less agriculture labourers, marginal farmers, rural artisans/ craftsmen such as potters, tanners, weavers, blacksmiths, carpenters, slum dwellers and persons earning their livelihood on daily basis in the informal sector like porters, coolies, rickshaw pullers, hand cart pullers, fruit and flower sellers, snake charmers, rag pickers, cobblers, destitutes and other similar categories in both rural and urban areas>
Households headed by Widows or Terminally ill persons or disabled persons or persons aged 60 years or more with no assured means of subsistence or social support
Single widows or terminally ill persons or disabled persons or persons aged 60 years or more with no assured means of subsistence or societal support
All Primitive Tribal Households ( Madia, Kolam, katkari)
Household headed by leprosy patients or recovered leprosy patients are eligible to get benefits under this scheme
While distributing AAY ration cards to eligible families, priority given to HIV/AIDS affected persons
Criteria For Saffron Ration Cards
Families having total annual income of more than Rs. 15,000 and less than 1 lakh.
None of the members in the family should have four wheeler mechanical vehicle (excluding taxi- driver).
The family in all should not posses four hectare or more irrigated land.
Criteria For White Ration Cards
The families having annual income of Rs. 1 Lakh or above, any member of the family possessing a four wheeler or the family aggregately holding more than 4 hectare irrigated land are issued white ration cards.