Ludhiana, June 29 -- With the June-end public distribution system (PDS) cycle drawing to a close, the food and civil supplies department has nearly completed wheat distribution across Ludhiana. However, the roll out of the state government's 'meri rasoi' free kitchen kits has lagged considerably, with fewer than half of the district's eligible families receiving the benefit so far.

Department data show that wheat has been distributed to 4.11 lakh of the district's 4.5 lakh ration card-holder families, taking the coverage to 90.5%. Around 39,000 families are yet to collect their entitlement before the current distribution cycle ends. Nearly 22,000 metric tonnes of wheat are being distributed during the ongoing quarterly cycle.

In contras...