Kolkata, March 27 (IANS): West Bengal is in the process of increasing its count of people availing subsidised foodgrain from the present figure of three crore to six crore, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said here on Friday.
"To ensure food security and nutrition, more than three crore people of the state now get foodgrains at highly subsidised rates from public distribution system. Now it is being expanded to cover more than six crore people, out of 9.13 crore population of our state," she said.
The Trinamool Congress supremo said bar coded or quick response coded digital ration cards are being issued to all the "eligible beneficiaries" to implement the programme and strengthen the public distribution mechanism in the state.
"We have already started distribution of such digital ration cards of Dakshin Dinajpur district from March 17. Very soon, the distribution will take place in other districts too," she said.