Congress leaders on Tuesday went on a hunger strike against irregularities in the preparation of list of beneficiaries of the Food Security Act and demanded inclusion of the names of needy.
While local MlA K Surya Rao led the agitation, it was joined among others by local Congress Committee members Sailara Ramulu, former councillors P Kalidas, S Gajapati Rao, Polu Pradhan, Basanta Kumar Panda and Premika Mandal.
Rao said that the list prepared for distribution of food security cards by the Civil Supply Office, Gajapati, contravenes the norms of the National Food Security Act.
The names of some very poor and eligible beneficiaries have been eliminated from the beneficiary list, whereas the names of the rich and ineligible persons have been included, he charged.
Moreover, the present list of beneficiaries does not carry the total number of beneficiaries receiving rice and other essential goods under BPl, APl and Antodaya schemes, he said, adding that the glaring difference shows the irregularity in enumeration and selection of beneficiaries under the Food Security Act.
Saillara Sri Ramulu said that the ration card list is not for the poor people; rather it is for the members and supporters of the BJD. The ration card should be given to the below poverty line people but in Gajapati district, the card is distributed to the families where more than two members are in Government jobs. In Gosani block, the owners of rice mills, cinema halls, cashew industries and former Class one officers have received the ration cards, while the needy and the poor people have been rejected, he alleged.