In view of wide-scale irregularities in the distribution of PDS ration cards, the State Government has decided to take legal action against the erring distributors and consumers. Sources in the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department said the beneficiaries, who have owned the ration cards by mentioning wrong information in the form, would be asked to deposit the money towards the cost of the PDS items they have taken from the date of their possession of the ration cards.
Besides, the department has also decided to lodge criminal cases against them for mentioning wrong information in the affidavit of the application form. through which they had applied for the cards. The department would soon come up with a notification in this regard, the sources added. According to the departmental Secretary Madhusudan Padhi, the department would upload a list of the PDS consumers with the detailed information in its website. If any consumer is found to have possessed the ration card fraudulently, his/her name would be removed from the list and the cards would be deactivated with immediate effect.
Since the distribution of ration cards is based on the data provided by the National Population Register (NPR), it would become easier to identify the fake consumers, said. Padhi also informed that the department has prepared a list of suspected consumers, who would be thoroughly scrutinised by the staff. If it is found that these consumers have failed to meet the eligible criteria, their PDS cards would be rejected forthwith.
As per the decision, if two per cent consumers are found in the suspect list, distribution of ration cards to other consumers of the concerned locality would be stopped. However, the cards would be distributed in the locality after a fresh verification by the department.