Over 1,300 tribals in Jawadhu Hills to get ration at doorstep under Thayumanavar scheme

More than 1,300 tribals aged above 70 years and persons with disabilities in Jawadhu Hills, covering Vellore, Tiruvannamalai and Tirupattur districts will get rations at doorstep under Thayumanavar scheme that was launched by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday.

Officials of the Cooperative Department, which will execute the scheme, said that the scheme aims to deliver ration products at the doorsteps of over 1.41 lakh elderly citizens and persons with disabilities in Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur and Tiruvannamalai districts. “All essential commodities including rice, dal and oil will be delivered at the doorsteps of the beneficiaries on the second Saturday and Sunday between 9 a.m and 6 p.m of every month. Prior alert will be given to beneficiaries to collect items on these days,” said S. Pratap, Superintendent, Department of Cooperatives (Tiruvannamalai).

Cooperative department officials said that field staff have been given a list of beneficiaries especially in hilly areas that comprises remote tribal hamlets to deliver the items to eligible beneficiaries. Field staff have been provided with an electronic weighing machine and e-PoS (point of sale) machine as part of the initiative. “We have to trek on a sandy pathway surrounded by forest to buy rations at a PDS outlet in the hills. Carrying commodities back home has always remained a herculean task. The new scheme will end our ordeal,” said V. Petchiammal, a tribal. 

Of the total 1,41,554 beneficiaries under the scheme, 1,337 persons above 70 years of age and persons with disabilities were beneficiaries in hilly areas, mainly Jawadhu Hills, covering Vellore, Tiruvannamalai and Tirupattur districts. Remaining beneficiaries belong to rural and urban areas in these districts.

Among them, Tiruvannamalai has the highest number of 596 card holders, followed by Tirupattur (492 cardholders) and Vellore (249 cardholders) in the hills under the scheme. Essential commodities from 43 PDS outlets in the hills will be provided to these beneficiaries every month.

At present, each outlet especially in Jawadhu hills is located 3-4 kms away from each other. As per norms, each shop should be set up 1.5 kms between each other. However, officials said that this criteria has been relaxed in hilly areas mainly due to rugged terrain and remoteness of tribal hamlets.

On the occasion, Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan, Minister for Textiles and Handlooms R. Gandhi and Deputy Speaker of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, K. Pitchandi gave essential items to benefariceis in these districts.