Not possessing a ration card or an Aadhaar card should not prove as impediments towards ensuring that the needy are provided with foodgrains during this time of crisis, Chief Minister of State Yogi Adityanath said on Friday, directing officials to ensure that every needy person in the state be provided with food, ration and other essential items. Officials have been asked to provide everyone with food without asking any questions if they fail to present their ration cards.

At a high-level meeting with senior officials in Lucknow to review the situation, CM Adityanath said that the state government should extend a helping hand and provide essential items like food to migrants as well.

“It doesn’t matter if a person has a Ration Card or not, Aadhaar Card or not, if the person is needy he/she would be provided with essential food items. Even if the person is a migrant he/she shall be provided with food and ration,” he said.

“Persons in shelter homes will also be provided food. We have to ensure that no one goes without food in the state,” Adityanath said.

The Uttar Pradesh government is providing free ration to the poor people of the state during the lockdown. The state has set a record of foodgrain distribution under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana. According to the government’s claim, more than 3 crore beneficiaries of 71.62 lakh families in the state have been distributed 1.5 lakh metric tonnes of free rice on Thursday. This was 21.46% of total targeted distribution in a single day, the highest in the country, as per the government’s claims.

Meanwhile, the state government has allowed 11 types of industries along with essential services from April 21. The state government has granted permission to operate steel, refinery, cement, chemical, fertilizer, textile except apparel, foundry, paper, tyre, common effluent treatment plant and sugar mills. The government has said the industries will be allowed to run with a maximum of 50% workers.

Uttar Pradesh is the country’s most populous state with 21 people. 29% of the population live below the poverty line. Along with free ration, the state government has also transferred Rs 1,000 each to the bank accounts of 4,81,755 daily wagers, including street vendors and rickshaw pullers.

The state has reported over 800 positive coronavirus cases and 13 deaths.