---
title: " Kerala Plans to Expand Ration Shops with Rural Banking and Other Public Services"
english_title: "Kerala Ration Shops May Offer Rural Banking and Expanded Services"
publisher: "Truevision English News"
canonical_url: "https://english.truevisionnews.com/news/383005/kerala-ration-shops-rural-banking-services"
published_at: "2026-09-16T22:12:00+05:30"
category: "Big Story"
language: "en"
image: "https://cf.zdn.im/img/truevisionnews.com/0/image-uploads/6aaac7d09bee3_kerala-ration-shops-rural-banking-services.jpg"
keywords: ["Kerala Ration Shops", "Rural Banking", "Anoop Jacob", "Ration Card", "Rice Allocation", "Ration Dealers"]
---

#  Kerala Plans to Expand Ration Shops with Rural Banking and Other Public Services

> **Lead Summary:** **Thiruvananthapuram: **The Kerala government is considering expanding ration shops into broader service centres by introducing rural banking services along with existing facilities. Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob said the possibility of providing banking services at ration shops is under consideration. The proposal would enable people receiving social security pensions and other government pensions through bank accounts to visit ration shops and withdraw money from their own accounts.

## Article Content

**Thiruvananthapuram: **The Kerala government is considering expanding ration shops into broader service centres by introducing rural banking services along with existing facilities. Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob said the possibility of providing banking services at ration shops is under consideration. The proposal would enable people receiving social security pensions and other government pensions through bank accounts to visit ration shops and withdraw money from their own accounts.

The minister also directed officials to examine the possibility of expanding existing Common Service Centre (CSC) services and LPG distribution through ration shops. The proposals were discussed during a meeting with representatives of ration dealer organisations.

The government is also considering increasing the rice allocation for white and blue ration cards to up to five kilograms. The minister said many people in these categories currently do not purchase ration commodities because of the low allocation. The expectation is that a higher rice allocation would encourage more people to visit ration shops and could also help control rice prices.

Ration dealers have demanded that the minimum monthly sales requirement for retail ration shops be reduced from 45 quintals to 35 quintals. The issue of reduced commission could be addressed by increasing the allocation for non-priority ration cards.

The minister directed officials to submit the file concerning the wage hike package for retail ration dealers for the government’s consideration soon. According to an assurance from the central government, once the Smart PDS system is fully implemented, the dealer’s payment will be transferred to the dealer’s account at the time ration is distributed to cardholders.

Plans to expand the operations of K-Store will also be considered. The minister reiterated that the possibility of introducing rural banking services at ration shops is under consideration.

The minister also said that the ration dealer welfare fund would be considered for an update in line with current requirements. A decision has already been taken to provide Rs 1.70 crore for distributing existing welfare fund arrears. Anoop Jacob also said complaints related to kerosene distribution in Kollam district would be examined.

### Related Links & Sources
- [Original Story Source](https://english.truevisionnews.com/news/383005/kerala-ration-shops-rural-banking-services)