Ineligible and eligible consumers are making beelines to the Panchayat and Municipality offices in Jharsuguda district to surrender their ration cards to avoid possible arrests.
Official sources said till July 11, total 2,472 persons in five blocks and three Municipalities of Jharsuguda district have surrendered their cards.
More than Rs 73,88,972 has been collected as fine for the goods procured by the ineligible consumers.
Notably, some persons have obtained ration cards by giving false affidavits about their living standards without anticipating future consequences.
But now on the basis of FIRs lodged by block and municipal authorities in some police stations, many ineligible beneficiaries have been arrested. This has created a sense of terror in the minds of the general public.
Fake beneficiaries, who did not return their cards within the deadline set by the district administration, were forced to deposit much more penalty for the goods procured through their cards. On the other hand, District Civil Supply Officer PDM Khosla has indicated strong action against the erring officials and ineligible consumers.
Highest 1,054 persons in Jharsuguda Municipality have deposited their ration cards followed by 227 in Belpahar Municipality, 310 in Brajrajnagar Municipality, 398 in Jharsuguda block, 156 in Kolabira, 34 in Kirmira, 42 in laikera and 254 in lakhanpur. Sources said cases have been lodged against 28 ineligible consumers and 6 persons have been forwarded to court.