Four people of Nuapada district have been arrested by police for availing ration cards illegally under the NFSA. FIRs have also been lodged against 162 people for violation of similar NFSA norms.
Such stringent action by the district administration has resulted in voluntary surrendering of ration cards all over the district. A total of 227 people have already returned their cards. They are also paying back the cost of rice they had taken in last two to three months.
According to reports of the district civil supplies office, an amount of Rs 3,71,635 has already been recovered from 92 persons. Highest numbers of card have been surrendered in Nuapada block. The number here is 53, out of whom four persons have paid Rs 30,448 in total towards the cost of rice they had taken. In Boden block, the 32 cards have been returned and the amount recovered is Rs 25,293 from seven persons. FIRs have been lodged against ten persons in this block.
In Komna block, 16 cards have been surrendered voluntarily by ineligible beneficiaries and an amount of Rs 61,941 has been recovered from 12 people. The number of FIRs lodged against illegal beneficiaries in this block is 49, which is the highest in the district. Cards surrendered by ineligible persons in Sinapali and Khariar blocks are 28 each.
“We have issued notices to 40 persons to return their cards after identifying them as ineligible for the scheme. FIRs have also been lodged against four persons,” said Kharir block Marketing Inspector (MI) Biren Dash. He further informed that an amount of Rs 1.02 lakh has been realised in the block from 27 illegal beneficiaries, and FIRs have been lodged against 46 persons.
likewise, in Sinapali block, amount recovered is Rs.77891/-from 15 beneficiaries and the number of FIR lodged is 25. likewise, a total of 74 cards have been surrendered in three urban bodies, Khariar, Khariar Road and Nuapada NACs of the district. An amount of Rs 74,096 has been recovered from 24 persons, and FIRs have been lodged against 11in these NACs. “We are expecting more people to surrender illegally availed ration cards in next few days. It will help us extend our coverage to genuine people under the NFSA,” said civil supplies officials.