The Opposition looks dead set on exposing the corruption and nepotism in preparation of list of beneficiaries under in the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in Odisha.
While the Congress has launched egg hurling on Ministers, the BJP under the leadership of its new State president Basant Panda has kicked off a poster campaign to highlight the scam by the ruling BJD Government.
The BJD on the contrary has sought cover in announcing penalty for those who have got ration cards by fraud. Though it has set a deadline for the ineligible beneficiaries to return the cards, it has yet to take exemplary action on those who have not returned cards and the political people and bureaucrats affiliated to BJD who perpetrated the mega scam in the State.
The Congress demands action against the BJD affiliates who committed the bungling depriving lakhs of eligible people of their legitimate right to food. The party has alleged that BJD functionaries and supporters have grabbed ration cards by exerting influence and key Ministers and MlAs of the ruling party have clear support for this mega irregularity. Since the Congress has exhausted its rally, padayatra and samabesh theories with little success which it did a few months ago in the wake of non-stop farmer suicides in the State to sensitise the people of the rural belt, it has now embarked on a radical tactic of egg pelting to attack the BJD. It is alleged that despite differences among Congress leaders with regard to the new tactic, it is alleged that the lulu Mohapatra has been encouraging party’s youth wing members to keep hurling eggs on BJD Ministers so that their corrupt faces come to the fore.
The BJD after mouthing moral platitudes against the move for a length of time has of late resorted to a tit-for- tat. lathi-wielding party supporters are now found escorting the visiting BJD Ministers and attacking the egg throwers.
While the BJD and Congress have virtually come to flexing muscles over the ration card issue, the BJP has called for a complete re-do of the beneficiary list and taken out its poster drive. Party State chief Panda said the campaign would be taken to the length and breadth of the State, especially in the rural areas and the people would be told about the scheme and the share of Centre and State in each kg of rice in it.