Various department officials deployed for verifying new ration card forms submitted by intended beneficiaries of National Food Security Scheme were directed to complete this assessment within stipulated time.
Dehradun district magistrate BVRC Purushottam issued instructions to the officials and said that department concerned will start issuing new ration card to the intended beneficiaries residing in rural areas by November 9 while in municipal area, the date for issuing new ration card may be delayed by a week or so.
“Apart from conducting photography of applicant’s houses, three rounds of verification of their documents will be done by the district officials before issuing new ration cards to them under the scheme," he added.
Around 2.5 lakh new ration card forms were distributed among beneficiaries through Municipal Corporation supervisor, Tehsil Ameen and lekhpal, Anganwadi workers and ASHA workers in the district.
He acknowledged that due to ongoing strike carrying out by the government employees of around 50 different departments, verification works are being adversely affected and date of issuing new ration card to the intended beneficiaries may be delayed by few days. The new ration card will be issued to around 1.90 lakh intended beneficiaries under the scheme after verification of the received application forms by the department officials in the district. The beneficiaries under the scheme will be selected based on guidelines issued by the central and state Government, he reiterated.
“Departmental action will be taken against those employees who are caught negligent on duty,” he added. Purushottam said that the district officers have been instructed to contact the employees who work in the field and review their progress from time to time. In addition to this, they need to take steps immediately for redressal of problems being faced by these employees on ground.
Additional district magistrate (administration) Harak Singh Rawat said that new ration cards among the intended beneficiaries will be issued on priority basis. In the first stage of issuing ration card, the department concerned will issue new ration cards to those beneficiaries who are having Below Poverty line ration card and Antyodaya ration card while in the second stage, those families having monthly income of 15, 000 are residing in slum areas will be given this card.
In the third stage, the new ration card will be issued to those persons who are beneficiaries of old age pension, widow pension, physically handicapped persons, rickshaw drivers, porters, daily wagers, sanitation workers, cobblers, blacksmiths, carpenters, village craftsmen, domestic helpers and others. All the applications will be verified by the district officials, before issuance of new ration card in the district.
It may be mentioned here that the food and civil supply office has issued Above Poverty line ration card to around 4.5 lakh families while 34, 000 families to Below Poverty line ration card and 17000 families to Antyodaya ration cards.