<p class="title">District In-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary said the government will issue directions to consider nearly 2.45 lakh APL cardholders as BPL cardholders and make them eligible for free ration. </p>.<p class="bodytext">“APL cardholders should apply to the tahsildar to obtain free rice,” he said while participating in a <span class="italic">PV-DH</span> phone-in-programme organised at the bureau office in Balmatta.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Poojary revealed that APL cardholders will also receive free rice when a caller lamented that unlike the poor, the middle-class people were left to fend for themselves.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The minister said that 10 kg of rice each had been distributed to 2,71,000 BPL cardholders.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He agreed that the boiled rice, being sold to BPL cardholders through fair price shops, did not meet the expectations of local people.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“We will make attempts to procure the red boiled rice from local mills,” he assured the callers.</p>.<p class="bodytext">To a question, Poojary said that wheat and pulses will be disbursed through fair price shops next week.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A majority of the 41 calls received by the minister were related to the ending of the lockdown.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Poojary, while responding to a question from a cook in Belthangady, recollected that the association of barbers, tailors, autorickshaw workers and drivers had met him to highlight the problems they are facing during the ongoing lockdown.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“Countries that ignored the Covid-19 threat are paying a heavy price. The focus is now on bringing down the cases that tested positive for Covid-19 to zero. The external borders will remain sealed. I will hold talks with Dakshina Kannada and Udupi deputy commissioners on relaxing the internal lockdown and help those depending on daily wages to eke out a livelihood,” he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“We must be brave and face these situations, which are temporary,” the minister appealed.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Those asked to report<br />to government duty, supplying essentials, requiring repairs for IP sets, will not face any<br />problem from the police, he added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“Stay where you are,” he advised when a caller sought the minister’s help to escort<br />a stranded relative to Mangaluru.</p>
<p class="title">District In-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary said the government will issue directions to consider nearly 2.45 lakh APL cardholders as BPL cardholders and make them eligible for free ration. </p>.<p class="bodytext">“APL cardholders should apply to the tahsildar to obtain free rice,” he said while participating in a <span class="italic">PV-DH</span> phone-in-programme organised at the bureau office in Balmatta.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Poojary revealed that APL cardholders will also receive free rice when a caller lamented that unlike the poor, the middle-class people were left to fend for themselves.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The minister said that 10 kg of rice each had been distributed to 2,71,000 BPL cardholders.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He agreed that the boiled rice, being sold to BPL cardholders through fair price shops, did not meet the expectations of local people.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“We will make attempts to procure the red boiled rice from local mills,” he assured the callers.</p>.<p class="bodytext">To a question, Poojary said that wheat and pulses will be disbursed through fair price shops next week.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A majority of the 41 calls received by the minister were related to the ending of the lockdown.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Poojary, while responding to a question from a cook in Belthangady, recollected that the association of barbers, tailors, autorickshaw workers and drivers had met him to highlight the problems they are facing during the ongoing lockdown.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“Countries that ignored the Covid-19 threat are paying a heavy price. The focus is now on bringing down the cases that tested positive for Covid-19 to zero. The external borders will remain sealed. I will hold talks with Dakshina Kannada and Udupi deputy commissioners on relaxing the internal lockdown and help those depending on daily wages to eke out a livelihood,” he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“We must be brave and face these situations, which are temporary,” the minister appealed.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Those asked to report<br />to government duty, supplying essentials, requiring repairs for IP sets, will not face any<br />problem from the police, he added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“Stay where you are,” he advised when a caller sought the minister’s help to escort<br />a stranded relative to Mangaluru.</p>