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Tamil Nadu Ration Delivery Costs Surge, Staff Bear Extra Burden

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  //automotive-transportation.news-articles.net/co .. elivery-costs-surge-staff-bear-extra-burden.html
  Published in Automotive and Transportation on Sunday, November 16th 2025 at 21:12 GMT by The New Indian Express

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Summarised Report: Door‑to‑Door Ration Delivery in Tamil Nadu Strains Staff as Transport Costs Overshoot Budget

The New Indian Express report, published on 17 November 2025, brings to light a growing logistical problem within Tamil Nadu’s door‑to‑door ration delivery programme. While the state has been working to expand free food distribution under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and its own Tamil Nadu Anna Yojana, the article shows that the actual transport cost required to reach remote and semi‑urban households is far beyond what has been allotted in the state’s 2025‑26 budget. As a result, the staff who are supposed to deliver the rations are being left to shoulder a substantial portion of the expense.

The Ration Delivery Scheme in Context

Tamil Nadu’s Anna Yojana has been the flagship welfare initiative for decades. The scheme distributes subsidised rice, pulses, and other staples to poor families, with the objective of ensuring basic nutrition for over five million households. The state government has recently announced a “door‑to‑door” extension for the first time in 2024, aimed at eliminating the need for beneficiaries to travel to ration shops—a measure touted as a critical step towards greater inclusivity during the COVID‑19 aftermath and the continuing agricultural crisis.

According to the article, the state’s Ministry of Women and Child Development, in coordination with the Department of Food and Civil Supplies, has rolled out a new logistical framework. The programme employs a fleet of modified delivery vans and small motorbikes. Delivery teams are assigned to clusters of 30–50 families and are expected to visit each household once every 15 days.

Why Transport Costs are Exceeding Allocations

The primary driver of cost overruns, the article states, is the escalating price of diesel and petrol. Since the last allocation in 2023, fuel prices in Tamil Nadu have risen by roughly 12 %, compounded by a 5 % increase in vehicle maintenance and depreciation fees. In addition, the newly constructed routes to reach outlying villages involve longer travel distances and winding, uneven roads, which accelerate wear and tear.

Another contributing factor is the lack of a dedicated, centrally‑managed fleet. The state relies largely on public‑sector transport vehicles—mostly old buses and trucks that are no longer fuel‑efficient. The article cites a link to a government press release (dated 25 October 2025) that outlines the procurement of a new fleet of 300 electric delivery vans, yet notes that the procurement process has been stalled due to budgetary constraints and bureaucratic approvals.

The report also highlights human resource issues: the delivery personnel are largely temporary staff recruited from local NGOs and community groups. Many of these workers do not receive a regular salary and instead receive a one‑time stipends. As transport costs increase, the workers are forced to either bear the extra expenses themselves or rely on informal reimbursements from the community.

Impact on Delivery Staff

The article provides a number of anecdotal accounts from workers. One example, taken from a link to a regional news portal, features Aravind, a 38‑year‑old delivery driver from Tiruchirappalli. Aravind reports that, after a recent spike in fuel costs, he had to purchase additional diesel from a private dealer at a premium. He notes, “The government had promised us a fuel subsidy, but it hasn’t been released yet. Until then we must cover our own costs.”

Another staff member, a woman named Lakshmi from Thanjavur, shares that the extra workload has led to physical exhaustion and a decline in the quality of deliveries. “We are now forced to skip some villages because the travel distance alone is exhausting,” she says. “I worry that the families may not get their ration on time.”

The article points to a government memorandum that, in theory, provides a fuel allowance of ₹10 000 per month per delivery team. However, it adds that the allowance has only been distributed to a handful of teams and the rest of the staff are still receiving zero or negligible support.

Consequences for Beneficiaries

With delivery staff bearing higher costs and some refusing to make long trips, the door‑to‑door objective is slipping. The article quotes a local NGO director, Srinivasan, who says: “We have seen a drop in the coverage rate in remote areas from 98 % in 2024 to 86 % in the first month of this year.” Consequently, some families are again forced to travel to ration shops, re‑introducing barriers such as lack of transport, especially for the elderly and children.

The piece also references a study by the National Institute of Food and Nutritional Security (NIFNS) that links insufficient food distribution to rising malnutrition rates in Tamil Nadu. The study, cited in the article via a link, indicates that a 10 % drop in coverage can lead to a measurable increase in stunting among children under five.

Government Response and Proposed Solutions

In response to the growing concerns, the Tamil Nadu government’s Ministry of Food and Civil Supplies has announced a special task force to review the entire delivery logistics. The task force will examine:

1. Alternative fuel options – such as solar‑powered vans or bio‑diesel, to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
2. Partnerships with private logistics companies – to outsource delivery to established fleets.
3. Enhanced fuel subsidies – through a new earmarked allocation in the 2026 budget.
4. Training and welfare programmes – to provide fixed salaries and health insurance for delivery staff.

The article quotes the Minister of Women and Child Development, Radhakrishnan, who stated: “We are committed to ensuring that every family receives the ration they are entitled to, without any extra burden on the people who are delivering them. The government will expedite the process of increasing the fuel subsidy and consider a larger fleet of electric vans to cut costs in the long run.”

Additionally, a link to the Tamil Nadu Gazette (dated 30 October 2025) announces an upcoming public consultation on the “Ration Delivery Cost‑Sharing Bill”, which aims to legally formalise the financial responsibilities of the state and private entities in this sector.

Bottom Line

The New Indian Express article underscores a paradox: a government programme designed to improve food security is being undercut by rising operational costs, leaving frontline delivery workers with the brunt of the financial burden. As fuel prices climb and the state’s vehicle fleet becomes increasingly unfit for purpose, the promise of door‑to‑door distribution risks unraveling. Without swift policy adjustments—particularly in the areas of fuel subsidy, fleet management, and staff welfare—the initiative could stall, jeopardising the nutritional wellbeing of Tamil Nadu’s most vulnerable populations.