Delay in Onam Kit Distribution Expected for Yellow Card Holders

The distribution of Onam kits for yellow ration card holders is set to experience a delay due to the non-arrival of certain items listed in the distribution. The items, such as toor dal, green gram, ghee, payasam mix, tea powder, chilli powder, and turmeric powder, have not yet reached the Supplyco depots. This delay has resulted in the kits not being assembled in several outlets as planned.

Initially, the government had announced the commencement of kit distribution from Monday. However, the orders for key items like ghee and payasam mix were only placed on that day. Shortages of cloth bags have also been reported in several stores. Despite the arrival of stock at stores on Tuesday, assembling the kits and transporting them to ration shops by Wednesday remains a challenging task, as indicated by Supplyco employees.

This year, the state is set to distribute a total of 6,07,691 Onam kits, catering to 5,87,691 AAY (yellow) card holders and 20,000 workers in various welfare institutions. An allocation of Rs 32.7 crores has been designated for Supplyco to fulfill this purpose, with an official order released on August 17.

Amidst the situation, concerns have been raised regarding the delayed distribution of the kits. Notably, the quantity of items within the kits is lower in comparison to last year’s provisions. The government recently released the list detailing the quantities of items in this year’s Onam kit. The estimated worth of the kit’s items is Rs 461.60.