Mukhyamantri Swadisht Chana Vitran Yojana - Chhattisgarh

What is Mukhyamantri Swadisht Chana Vitran Yojana?

Mukhyamantri Swadisht Chana Vitran Yojana is a nutrition-focused component of the Public Distribution System run by the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection, Government of Chhattisgarh. Under it, eligible families draw 2 kg of chana (Bengal gram) every month at Rs 5 per kg from their fair price shop, in addition to the rice their ration card entitles them to.

According to the Chhattisgarh State Food Commission's record of welfare schemes under the PDS, chana distribution in scheduled and MADA areas of the state has been running since 2013, and the beneficiaries are all Antyodaya and priority ration card holding families in those areas. The stated objective is "nutritional security and supplementary protein supply" to residents of underdeveloped regions.

MADA stands for Modified Area Development Approach, the pockets outside scheduled areas that have a substantial tribal population and are treated similarly for welfare targeting. Together, scheduled areas and MADA pockets cover a large share of Chhattisgarh's tribal districts, including much of Bastar and Surguja divisions.

Main features

• 2 kg of chana per family per month, so a family pays Rs 10 in total.
• Issue price Rs 5 per kg, well below the market price of chana.
• Distributed through the existing fair price shop network using ePOS biometric authentication.
• No separate application — the entitlement rides on the ration card.
• Confined to scheduled and MADA areas of the state.

Who is eligible for the chana entitlement?

You are entitled if:

• Your family holds an Antyodaya Anna Yojana ration card or a priority ration card issued by the Chhattisgarh food department.
• Your fair price shop is located in a scheduled area or a MADA pocket of Chhattisgarh.
• Your ration card is active and Aadhaar seeding is complete, so that the ePOS machine can authenticate the transaction.

You are not eligible if:

• You hold a general or APL category ration card. The subsidised chana is restricted to Antyodaya and priority families, and a general card holder cannot apply for it.
• Your fair price shop is outside the notified scheduled and MADA areas. The scheme is geographically targeted; an Antyodaya family in a non-scheduled urban ward does not draw chana under this component.
• Your ration card has been surrendered, cancelled or suspended, or is pending re-verification.
• You are seeking a cash equivalent instead of the commodity. There is no cash-in-lieu option.

What do I need to carry to the ration shop?

No form, no photograph, no income certificate and no application fee are involved. Anyone asking for money to "add chana to your card" is running a scam.

How to claim the chana entitlement

1. Check that your ration card is Antyodaya or priority category and is active. You can verify this on khadya.cg.nic.in using the ration card search, or by asking the fair price shop dealer to show the allotment on the ePOS screen.
2. Visit your allotted fair price shop in the distribution window announced for the month. Distribution generally runs over the first fortnight, but local schedules vary and are displayed at the shop.
3. Give your biometric authentication on the ePOS machine, or use the Aadhaar OTP route where biometric capture fails.
4. Draw 2 kg of chana along with your rice, and pay Rs 10 for the chana at Rs 5 per kg.
5. Take the printed receipt from the ePOS machine. The receipt shows the commodities and quantities issued and is your evidence in any dispute.
6. Check the SMS confirmation if your mobile number is registered against the card.

How to check what your card is allotted

1. Open the Chhattisgarh food department portal at khadya.cg.nic.in.
2. Use the ration card search or the fair price shop-wise transaction report.
3. Enter your ration card number or select district, block and shop.
4. The report shows the month's allotment against the shop and the transactions recorded against your card, so you can see whether the dealer has already booked an issue in your name.

That last check matters. The most common PDS fraud is a dealer recording a transaction against a card without handing over the goods. If the portal shows a transaction you did not make, complain immediately.

Why the chana may not reach you, and what to do

• Ration card in the wrong category. If your card shows general category when your household qualifies for priority, apply for correction at the food department office or through the online ration card services.
• Aadhaar seeding incomplete. The ePOS will not authenticate. Get Aadhaar seeded against every member of the card at the food office or the shop.
• Biometric failure, common among older people and manual labourers whose fingerprints have worn. Ask for the OTP-based route or nominate another family member on the card.
• Dealer says stock has not arrived. Chana allotment is shop-wise and visible on khadya.cg.nic.in. Check the portal, and if stock is shown as allotted, complain with a screenshot.
• Dealer charges more than Rs 5 per kg. Overcharging is a direct violation. Take the ePOS receipt and complain.
• Shop outside the scheduled or MADA area. In that case there is nothing to claim under this component, and the family's normal PDS entitlements apply.

Help and grievance redressal

• PDS toll-free helpline: 1967
• Chhattisgarh food department helpline: 1800-233-3663
• District Food Officer of your district, for shop-level complaints
• Chhattisgarh State Food Commission, fcs.cg.gov.in, the statutory body that hears food security grievances under the National Food Security Act
• Online grievance through khadya.cg.nic.in

Note on the name: the entitlement is widely referred to in Chhattisgarh as Mukhyamantri Swadisht Chana Vitran Yojana, and various secondary sources date a chief-ministerial relaunch of chana distribution to 15 November 2019. The Chhattisgarh State Food Commission's own page records the underlying chana distribution in scheduled and MADA areas as running since 2013 at 2 kg per family per month at Rs 5 per kg, and that is the figure used above. Where a scheme title and its underlying entitlement have different histories, the department's published quantity and price are the reliable part; confirm any change in quantity or price at your district food office.