Currency crunch: Salt, oil, sugar on credit for BPL families in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Seeing the currency crunch, the state government has decided to give salt, edible oil and sugar on credit to BPL and APL cardholders in November and December.

Announcing this, Food and Civil Supplies Minister, U T Khader pointed out to reporters here that around a crore BPL and APL cardholders were having trouble exchanging the old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes for new and find the money for rations from fair price shops.

As they were accustomed to buying sugar, salt and edible oil at subsidised rates from these shops , the government had decided to let them have them on credit in November and December and recover the money in January next year.

Mr Khader said a circular had been issued on Thursday to owners of all fair price shops to give these foodstuff to the cardholders and issue them a receipt. They were also told to keep a copy of the receipt to produce before the government and claim reimbursement, he explained.

Emphasising that cardholders must pay the fair price shops for the foodstuff in January, he warned that if they didn’t their cards would be cancelled.