Opposition Congress and BJP are all set to move court of law against the State Government accusing it of violating National Food Security Act (NFSA) guidelines and facilitating inclusion of undeserving BJD workers in the digitised ration card lists.
Both the parties on Sunday said they would knock at the door of the Orissa High Court in a day or two.
Opposition Chief Whip of the Congress in the Assembly Taraprasad Bahinipati told reporters here that a Public Interest litigation (PIl) would be filed in the High Court on behalf of the party.
“I have talked with my lawyer friend Pitambar Acharya about the gross irregularities in the digitised ration card preparation for which many undeserving beneficiaries and BJD people have received cards,” said Bahinipati.
He charged that though FIRs are being lodged against Government employees for possessing ration cards, no FIR is lodged against BJD corporators, sarpanches, Samiti members and other party people for cornering ration cards.
Bahinipati further blasted the Government for not constituting a Food Commission and Redressal Cells at the district level as per the NFSA guidelines.
BJP State general secretary Manmohan Samal questioned the advertisements in newspapers issued by the Government appealing to undeserving beneficiaries to return their cards.
“The Government can’t issue advertisement in newspapers urging illegal card holders to return them. The NFSA does not have such provision. The Government implemented the scheme very late and in a fraudulent manner violating all the guidelines,” said Samal.
Samal said his party would take a final call on its legal battle in next two days.
However, BJD spokesperson Pratap Keshari Deb rubbished the allegations of the opposition parties and said since the issue of who would give fund for constitution of a Food Commission and Vigilance Committees is yet to be decided between the Centre and the State Governments, the process is being delayed.
So far as the advertisements is concerned, Deb said the intention of the Government is clear that not a single undeserving person gets the card and for that reason only advertisements are being published in newspapers.