Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, May 5: Under the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Yojana meant to provide food grains free of cost to poor families facing financial crisis due to the COVID second wave, officials said, that 1,64,636 BPL card holders and 28,422 Antyodaya card holders from the taluk have been identified as beneficiaries under the said scheme. Under this scheme, every identified family gets five kg rice per head free of cost.

However, the major demand of the coastal residents seeking boiled rice instead of raw rice has not been met. 80 percent of the people here use boiled rice. The boiled rice produced here is used only at home for cooking. There is no excess production to include in ration rice. Boiled rice made in Andhra Pradesh is not liked by the people here, the officials say. Thousands of quintals of rice is released under the National Food Safety Act every month. Most of this rice is used for breakfast and to make other eatables.

There are 26,381 BPL beneficiaries in Udupi taluk and 2,622 Antyodaya, 16,116 BPL and 2,586 Antyodaya in Kaup taluk, 25,538 BPL and 5,878 Antyodaya in Brahmavar, 38,622 BPL and 8,328 Antyodaya cards in Kundapur, 22,177 BPL and 4,366 Antyodaya cards in Byndoor, 27,637 BPL and 3,362 Antyodaya cards in Karkala, ,while Hebri has 8,175 BPL card beneficiaries and 1,281 Antyodaya cardholders.