Distribution of essential goods and ₹1,000 under COVID-19 relief assistance began in Virudhunagar district on Thursday morning.
With the presence of police personnel at all the 1,001 ration shops, the officials could prevent crowding as only those who had tokens for the day were allowed to stand in the queues. Separate queues were formed for men and women.
Boxes had been drawn on the ground to ensure that people in the queue maintained personal distancing outside the shops.
“We have drawn lines outside the shops so that there is a minimum of three feet distance between every two individual on the queue,” Tiruthangal Municipal Commissioner (in-charge), P. Krishnamoorthy said.
Stating that all materials, rice, sugar, wheat, toordal and palm oil were available in adequate quantity and sufficient cash, in the denomination of ₹500, is available in all the fair price shops, the District Supply Officer V. Selvakumar said that the fair price shops have been asked to ensure that materials and cash are distributed to all the 100 earmarked cardholders every day.
Tokens for the first two days of distribution of goods had been handed over to the card holders in the last two days. Every day tokens would be distributed by the ration shops employees after distribution of the goods.
Virudhunagar district has 5.66 lakh ration cardholders eligible to get the freebies.
Each ration shop has between 300 ration cards and 1000 cards.
Aged, sick exempted
Virudhunagar district administration has made special door delivery arrangement for the aged people, differently-abled and those who are sick. The workers have already informed such people not to come all the way to the ration shops. Home delivery of the goods to such people would be taken up after two days.
Meanwhile, the district administration is also exploring the possibility of home delivery of goods to all the people with the help of volunteers.
