The Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday decided to provide a package of groceries at Rs 100 to holders of the ration card in the state for the upcoming Diwali festival. The package will contain 1 kg of rawa (sooji), groundnuts, edible oil and yellow lentils.

"There are 1.70 crore families or seven crore people who have ration cards and are eligible to buy foodgrains from state-run fair price shops," the statement said.

The proposal was moved by the Department of Food and Civil Supply and Consumer Protection. As per the Reserve Bank of India’s consumer price index, the country’s retail inflation rate is 7 percent.

Against this backdrop, the state government’s decision to offer essential items at subsidised rates will enable the economically-weaker sections to prepare snacks and sweets for Diwali using the package of groceries.

Notably, many civic and local governing bodies, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, in the state are due for elections in the coming months.

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First Published:Oct 4, 2022 5:11 PM IST