Punjab govt hikes ₹40 per quintal margin money for 14k ration depot holders

Announcing the hike in the margin money to ₹90 per quintal from the existing ₹50 per quintal, Punjab food and consumer affairs minister Lal Chand Kataruchak said the department has also released ₹38.43 crore for this purpose.

Punjab government on Friday announced a ₹40 per quintal increase in the margin money for over 14,400 ration depot holders in the state.

The last increase in the margin money given to depot holders was in 2016.

The hike in the margin money to ₹90 per quintal from the existing ₹50 per quintal was announced by state food and consumer affairs minister Lal Chand Kataruchak.

He said that the department has also released ₹38.43 crore for this purpose.

The last increase in the margin money given to depot holders was in 2016. “If 200 ration cards or 800 beneficiaries are attached with a depot holder and each beneficiary got 5kg of wheat per month then margin money used to be approximately ₹2,000 every month. After the increase, the margin money will be ₹ 3,600 per month,” the minister said while giving an example.

On the issue of opening more ration depots in Punjab, the minister said the process is underway with December 5 being the last date to apply for a new ration depot.

Kataruchak said a total of 9,782 ration depots will be opened in the state — 8,040 in villages and 1,742 in urban areas.

The issue of release of pending amount of rural development fee (RDF) has been discussed with the Union food and public distribution minister Pralhad Joshi, Kataruchak said. “RDF is our rightful share, and the Union minister has assured us to look into the matter,” he added.