Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary Distributes New Ration Cards, Licences for 1,448 PDS Shops

 

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Thursday (November 12, 2026) inaugurated a distribution programme for newly issued ration cards and licences for fair price shops by lighting the ceremonial lamp at Gyan Bhawan. The programme was organised by the Food and Consumer Protection Department.

The Chief Minister oversaw the distribution of ration cards to 23.75 lakh new beneficiaries and licences for 1,448 newly established Public Distribution System (PDS) shops. He also symbolically handed over ration cards to a number of beneficiaries.

Addressing the gathering, Choudhary described the occasion as a matter of pride and congratulated all the beneficiaries. He said the state government's resolve was to ensure that no poor person in Bihar went hungry and that no eligible family was deprived of the benefits of government welfare schemes.

He said improving the living standards of poor families and providing them with opportunities to lead a dignified life remained the government's highest priority. He added that the vision of a developed India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and a prosperous Bihar, as envisaged by former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, could be realised only by improving people's quality of life.

The Chief Minister said the state government had taken significant steps to strengthen food security for poor and needy families. So far, 23.75 lakh new ration cards had been issued and 1,448 new PDS shops had been established.

Bihar currently has a total of 2.09 crore ration cards, benefiting approximately 8.46 crore people.

Choudhary said the Food and Consumer Protection Department had been given a target of adding one crore new people to the ration card system. Around 24 lakh people had already been added to the list.

He urged all eligible families who were still without ration cards to apply. The government would ensure that eligible applicants received their new ration cards within 30 days of submitting their applications, he said.

Highlighting other welfare initiatives, the Chief Minister said the government was providing ration cards to ensure food security and linking poor families with the Ayushman Bharat scheme for healthcare coverage. Several other public welfare programmes were also being implemented for economically weaker sections.

He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making free foodgrain available to poor families and said the state government was continuously working to improve their living standards.

He added that all families in Bihar were being provided with 125 units of free electricity. The government's primary objective was to serve the poor and meet their basic needs.

Referring to the Panchayat Day programme, Choudhary said it was organised on the last Sunday of every month. He appealed to public representatives and government officials to launch special drives to identify eligible people who had been left out of the ration card system and include their names.

He also highlighted the objectives of the 'Seva Sankalp Evam Kayakalp Abhiyan', under which essential facilities in rural areas were being improved. These included health centres, schools, Anganwadi centres, community buildings and Chhath ghats, along with other basic infrastructure.

The Chief Minister said needy people should be identified at the panchayat level and connected with all eligible government welfare schemes.

He further stated that projects worth Rs 22,000 crore were being undertaken to improve village conditions and develop rural infrastructure.

Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui