The state department of food has decided to distribute sugar in packets in the ration shops in order to prevent the ration buyers from cheating.
Sugar is being sold at Rs. 13.50 per kg in the ration shop. Rice card holders are given a maximum of 2 kg sugar. The card holders with a preference for sugar are given 3 kg sugar.
As the price of the ration sugar is lower than the other shops, even those who do not buy rice prefer to buy sugar. However, the shop personnel cheat by using wrong weight and selling the sugar in the black market. Thus, the people get cheated. Because of this, the state department of food has decided to sell/distribute sugar in packets.
An official from the Department of Food and Cooperatives explained that both the public and the employees in the rations shop have appealed to distribute sugar in packets in order to avoid any cheating in weighing. However, it will require additional expense to distribute all items in packets – hence, this idea was not implemented. If pulses are given in packets, it is easy to identify if it is of low quality.
36500 tons of sugar are required for distribution in ration shops every month.
It is easier to distribute sugar in 2 or 3 kg packets. So, it has been decided to distribute sugar alone in packets for the time being. Once the government approval is obtained, this will be implemented.