New Town residents got access to the public distribution system with an extension counter of a fair price shop opening at the ground floor of the old electricity office in AI Block near Tank 3 in Action Area 1.

“New Town did not have a ration shop. The nearest fair price shop is 2km away in Rajarhat. We received a request from Hidco to open one here. So the Rajarhat dealer will run an extension counter here on a weekly basis,” said an official of the food and supplies department.

But no food grain would be distributed from here. “People with monthly income above Rs 15,000 are not eligible to receive subsidised supply. But they can apply for a ration card to use as documentary evidence by which they can also buy the non-subsidised items sold in fair price shops,” he added.

Hidco chairman Debashis Sen welcomes Ajay Bhattacharya, director, district procurement and supply, department of food and supplies on Tuesday

The counter will be open for three hours every Tuesday from 10am to 1pm for residents to collect and submit Form 10, to apply for non-subsidised items, or Form 5 to change address.

“When I was president of our block association, neighbours used to ask for the nearest ration shop. Some wanted to convert their old ration cards to digital ones. But we did not have any in the township then. Though hardly anyone needs to buy things from ration shops in New Town, it will be good to fill the gap in service,” said Debabrata Banerjee, president of the ALAKAI Block Cultural and Welfare Association from 2012 to 2018, who had dropped by to enquire on Tuesday on spotting the arrangements for the inauguration bring made.

Hidco chairman Debashis Sen opened the counter in presence of Ajay Bhattacharya, director, district procurement and supply, department of food and supplies.