In Bihar, a new ration card will be issued within 30 days of application, and rations will be delivered to the homes of the elderly..
Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has made a significant announcement for the benefit of the state’s poor and eligible families. Addressing an event held at Gyan Bhawan in the capital, Patna, on Thursday (November 12), he stated that all eligible families in the state who currently lack a ration card will be provided with a new one within 30 days of submitting an application. During the inaugural session of a ceremony organized by the Department of Food and Consumer Protection—focused on the distribution of newly issued ration cards and permits for fair-price shops—the Deputy Chief Minister symbolically handed over ration cards to 2.375 million (23.75 lakh) new beneficiaries and issued permits for 1,448 new Public Distribution System (PDS) shops.
Target to include 10 million (1 crore) new individuals
The Deputy Chief Minister noted that the Department of Food and Consumer Protection had been tasked with bringing 10 million (1 crore) new people into the ration card system, of which approximately 2.4 million (24 lakh) have been added so far. Currently, there are 20.9 million (2.09 crore) active ration cards in Bihar, benefiting approximately 84.6 million (8.46 crore) people. In addition to food security, poor families are also being enrolled in the 'Ayushman Bharat Yojana' to ensure access to healthcare.
Ration to be delivered to the homes of the elderly
The Deputy Chief Minister announced that, starting next year, a system will be introduced to deliver rations directly to the homes of elderly ration cardholders aged 75 and above, sparing them the inconvenience of traveling to shops. Furthermore, individuals over the age of 80 are now being offered the facility to have land and property registration completed at their own homes.
Government’s vision for electricity, employment, and agriculture
During the event, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary shared several other key updates regarding the state's overall development. He mentioned that 125 units of free electricity are being provided to all families across the state. He urged public representatives and officials to identify the underprivileged and the needy through the 'Panchayat Diwas' program—held on the last Sunday of every month—and connect them with government welfare schemes.
The government's objective is to develop a system in the state by 2030 that ensures the youth of Bihar do not have to migrate to other states out of necessity in search of employment, but instead can find dignified jobs within their own state.
The Chief Minister stated that a request has been made to the Central Government to increase the paddy procurement target in the state to 8 million (80 lakh) metric tonnes, ensuring that farmers receive a fair price for their produce.
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