Opposition Congress and BJP members on Tuesday demanded formation of a House Committee to investigate the irregularities in distribution of ration cards under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in the State.
Initiating discussion in a related Adjournment Motion, Opposition Chief Whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati said the BJD is running a racket involving its leaders to grab all ration cards. “Massive irregularities have taken place in distribution of NFSA cards. BJD leaders and workers have grabbed all cards,” he alleged and demanded that a House Committee be constituted to probe investigation into the distribution.
Even though the NFSA is the contribution UPA Government, the ruling BJD has utterly failed to implement it in the State properly, said another Congress member Dr Prafulla Majhi.
BJP members alleged that the ruling party has made the Centrally sponsored food scheme as Biju Food Scheme. “BJD leaders have distributed the cards among their leaders and workers, but not among the poor. A large number of deserving beneficiaries are yet to get cards,” BJP MlA Pradeep Purohit said.
BJD members, who participated in the discussion, refuted opposition charges. However, they said there are many deserving candidates who are yet to get ration cards and the process is still on to identify them for the purpose.
In his reply, Food Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Sanjay Dasburma said the opposition members are unnecessarily doing cheap politics over the matter.
“It is the matter of people’s bread and butter. It should not be politicised. In federal structure, the duties and responsibilities of State and Centre have been fixed. However, in the food distribution process, Centre always slashes the food grain quota putting extra burden on the State,” Dasburma said.
The Minister said Ration Card Management System (RCMS) centres have been set up in all blocks and municipality offices. By now 21,84, 641 complaints have been received of which 14, 74, 909 cases have been disposed of. Of these, 5,35,719 new beneficiary families have been finalised. No deserving beneficiary would be left out, he said.
The charges made by opposition members are not based on facts, he said.