Jharkhand aims to become the first state in the country to provide 1kg of pulses at Re 1 per month to food security scheme beneficiaries by rolling out the distribution through ration shops from this month.

“A few states have been distributing pulses at Re 1 per month during festive seasons. But we would be the first state to distribute it round the year to all beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act and state food security schemes. We have allocated over Rs 550 crore for the current fiscal for this purpose and this would benefit nearly 65 lakh ration card holders in the state,” said Jharkhand finance and food supply minister and Congress leader Rameshwar Oraon.

The veteran Congress leader also said that on November 15, which marks the 24th Statehood Day of Jharkhand, chief minister Hemant Soren would be launching the scheme on a pilot basis in three districts of Ranchi, Lohardaga and Dumka.

“We have already paid the amount for the pulses to the National Agriculture Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) and have got the consignment at the three districts,” Oraon added.

The state cabinet had approved the scheme in August.

As of now, under the state food security scheme, 35kg foodgrains at the rate of Re 1 per kg are being provided every month to nine lakh families. Under the priority household scheme, 5kg foodgrains per person are being made available to 2.28 crore people at subsidised rates.

“Food rights activists have been demanding the distribution of protein supplements along with rice to families enrolled under food security schemes to deal with malnutrition in the state,” Oraon said.

Soren will also launch the third phase of the Apki Yojana Apki Sarkar Apki Dwar (government at your doorstep) scheme, which will continue till December 29.

A slew of policies will be launched by the chief minister and governor C.P. Radhakrishnan at Morabadi in Ranchi, the venue of the statehood day function.

“Some of the policies, which are lined up for launch include Jharkhand Export Policy, Jharkhand MSME Policy, Jharkhand Startup Policy and Jharkhand IT Data and BPO Promotion Policy. Apart from this, Abua Awas Yojana (three-room concrete home scheme for the rural homeless who have been left out of Prime Minister’s housing scheme) and Chief Minister Gram Gaadi Yojana (rural bus service) will also be launched,” said a source in the chief minister’s secretariat.

This apart, the state will ink an MoU with Azim Premji University. The university will provide facilities ranging from technical, medical and business education in a single campus.

Other highlights of the function include the laying of the foundation stone for the Apollo Multi Super Specialty Hospital at the Ranchi Smart City complex.

Jharkhand was created after carving out the southern part of Bihar on November 15, 2000.

Speaking to reporters, Soren said: “The government works for its people. It is not to be spoken but to be felt. We are now on a mission to bring the people, who were earlier not in focus, under the government’s network.” He said officials should ensure that people living in remote areas get the benefits of government schemes at any cost.

Soren on Tuesday reviewed the preparations at Ranchi’s Morabadi ground where the statehood day function will be held on November 15. He inspected the construction of the pandal, stage and stalls and instructed officials to ensure that people who attend the function should not face any kind of problems.