Delhi govt to deploy volunteers at fair price shops to ensure adherence to Covid norms

He also said that coronavirus pandemic guidelines should be followed while lifting ration from godowns.The minister asked transporters to adequately sensitise truck drivers and their helpers in scrupulously following the guidelines of COVID-19 and adopt Covid-appropriate behaviour while transporting food-grains, the statement said.

With a steep rise in coronavirus cases, the Food and Supply Department has decided to deploy volunteers to ensure health guidelines are followed by beneficiaries and the staff at all fair price shops in Delhi, an official statement said.

These instructions were issued by Food and Supply Minister Imran Hussain after a high-level meeting of the department with other stakeholders of the public distribution system on Thursday.

''The minister directed the Food & Civil Supplies department officials to ensure that civil defence volunteers deputed at FPSs should monitor all the beneficiaries are wearing masks and are following social distancing norms,'' the statement said.

It added that Hussain also directed officials to ensure that FPS dealers adopt Covid-appropriate behaviour at all times during the ration distribution. He also said that coronavirus pandemic guidelines should be followed while lifting ration from godowns.

''The minister asked transporters to adequately sensitise truck drivers and their helpers in scrupulously following the guidelines of COVID-19 and adopt Covid-appropriate behaviour while transporting food-grains,'' the statement said. Delhi on Thursday recorded 15,097 fresh Covid cases, the highest single-day rise since May 8, and six deaths while the positivity rate mounted to 15.34 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department.

The number of new cases recorded on Thursday is 41 per cent more than the figure the day before.

In the meeting Hussain reviewed the distribution of free ration under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) beneficiaries.

He also reviewed the progress of distribution of 5 kg of food grains to non-PDS beneficiaries (without ration card) in Delhi.

The minister said that the Arvind Kejriwal Government has extended the period for free ration supply to the beneficiaries for another six months i.e upto May 2022 to mitigate the economic hardship caused by the Pandemic Covid-19. Hussain also said the Delhi government is keeping a close watch on the price trends of essential commodities. He said that wherever felt necessary the government will undertake market intervention for the stabilisation of prices of essential commodities in Delhi during the pandemic time. The minister also asked the department to keep a strict vigil on the availability and movement of prices of essential commodities. ''The minister directed intelligence teams should also gather information about instances of hoarding and black marketing of essential commodities during the corona pandemic so that the concerned departments could initiate necessary action against them under the essential commodities Act,'' the statement said.