The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has sought a report from the State Government on non-issuance of ration cards after 1992.
The commission while acting in petition filed by rights activist Akhand has asked the Panchayati Raj Department commissioner-cum-Secretary to submit a report in the matter.
The rights activist had submitted a petition to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in this regard in February 2014, which later transferred the case to the OHRC.
Akhand had alleged in his petition that, “No ration cards have been issued to beneficiary families after 1992 in Odisha. During a span of two decades, the number of above poverty line (APl) families have increased in the State and they were denied the benefits of ration cards. Many BPl families are still waiting for their ration cards. While families living under the below poverty line (BPl) are entitled to get subsidised rice and other items distributed under public distribution system (PDS), the APl families get wheat and kerosene.”
The department of Food Supply and Consumer Welfare had issued the ration cards to the beneficiaries in 1992-93. later, on publication of BPl survey list in 1997, it had validated these cards as BPl cards. So families having no ration cards are deprived of getting benefits of essential commodity under PDS on subsidised rates, Akhand had alleged.