Chennai, Nov 1 : In a major relief to senior citizens, the Tamil Nadu government has reduced the eligibility age for home delivery of essential commodities under the Public Distribution System (PDS) from 70 years to 65 years.

According to officials from the Department of Cooperation, the decision was made after numerous requests from the public, urging that the facility be extended to those aged 65 and above who often face difficulty visiting fair price shops.

As part of the revised schedule, the department has also decided to deliver ration goods to eligible beneficiaries in the first week of every month ' specifically on Saturday and Sunday ' instead of the second week as was previously followed.

Beginning this November, door deliveries will be made on November 3 and 4, while subsequent months will follow the same pattern.

Officials said the change aims to improve the efficiency of the scheme and ensure the timely delivery of commodities to elderly and differently-abled cardholders. Earlier delays and logistical challenges had discouraged many beneficiaries from opting for home delivery, they added.

The home delivery scheme, launched to assist senior citizens above 70 years and persons with disabilities (PwDs), originally covered 20.42 lakh elderly people and 1.27 lakh PwDs.

However, officials revealed that around 8 per cent of those listed were found to be deceased, prompting a revision of the database.

"With the age limit now lowered to 65 years, the updated list will include more beneficiaries, including those whose names were inadvertently omitted earlier. The final list will be ready in the coming months," a senior department official said.

Officials also noted that the lukewarm response to the initiative in recent months was due to multiple factors, including delays in distribution and the migration of beneficiaries to other districts.

The government hopes the new delivery schedule and expanded eligibility criteria will help address these concerns and increase participation. The PDS home delivery scheme was introduced with the objective of providing doorstep delivery of essential commodities such as rice, sugar, wheat, and kerosene to elderly citizens and PwDs who are unable to visit ration shops in person.

With the latest revision, thousands of additional beneficiaries across Tamil Nadu are expected to benefit from the initiative.

/IANS