Bengaluru, Mar 22 (IANS): There is no need for Karnataka ration card holders and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) beneficiaries to panic buying food, amid purported COVID-19-induced fear of shortage, an official said on Saturday.

"Public Distribution System (PDS) will function well and all the poor people and ration cardholders will get their ration. There is no fear of it," told the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department's Additional Chief Secretary V. Manjula to IANS.

However, she clarified that she can comment only about the PDS.

According to Manjula, the department has already distributed 68 per cent of the supply target to the beneficiaries in March.

"For the next two months of April and May, we have decided to give the ration in April itself, so that people need not come to the ration shops twice," she said.

State Food and Civil Supplies Minister K. Gopalaiah said the double portion distribution is to ensure social distancing among beneficiaries in the wake of Coronavirus contagion.

Currently, the department is giving 7 kg rice per member of a priority household and in April the department will distribute two portions of 5 kg rice person and 2 kg wheat per card, translating into 10 kg rice person and 4 kg wheat per card.

Manjula said a family will get 35 kg rice per month under AAY scheme.

The government has also suspended biometric PDS distribution and will shift to sending one time password (OTP) method to the beneficiaries cell phones.

The officer dispelled food shortage fears, saying that the retail shops will be open and people should not panic because of quarantines.

"There will be stocks, that is what the government has assured," Manjula added.

Karnataka state has 3.83 crore beneficiaries under the PDS system.

Meanwhile, the state government has raided several shops selling masks and hand sanitizers at an exorbitant cost.

Gopalaiah said 500 shops have been raided and 203 cases registered, collecting a fine of Rs 7 lakh from the fleecing shopkeepers.