A total of 1,502 ineligible people in Gajapati district have by now returned their ration cards under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) to the district administration. A sum of Rs42,31,395 has been collected as fine from these ineligible beneficiaries. Besides, seven illegal ration cardholders have been arrested for defying the order of the district administration.
District Civil Supplies Officer Subodh Mallik said a total of 1,15,322 people, including 4,200 in the district headquarters of Paralakhemundi, had been given ration cards in the district. “Under the direction of the district Collector, a drive against people, who have gained ration cards by forgery, has been carried out in the entire district for the last one month,” he said.
Allegations of inclusion of ineligible persons in the beneficiaries’ list had been received by the Collector. Following this, people were asked to return their ration cards if they have gained it by furnishing false information. Notably, the district administration has fixed August 15 as the last date for deletion of ineligible names from the list of beneficiaries.