The distribution of digitised ration cards to beneficiaries for subsidised food grains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) turned out to be a farce in Cuttack district on Thursday on account of faulty identification of beneficiaries.
Disgruntled over non-inclusion of their names in the beneficiary list, many complained that political affiliation has been the sole criteria in identifying the beneficiaries, as a result of which many genuine beneficiaries have been left out.
“A thorough survey would be done once again to identify the genuine beneficiaries who are left out and ration cards would be distributed to them within three months,” informed the Cuttack Collector NC Mishra, acknowledging the error in identification of beneficiaries. It was decided that only 70 per cent of population of the district would get the ration cards to be eligible to get five kilograms of rice and wheat at subsidised rates every month from October 1. However, when over 95 per cent people applied for cards, the programme got delayed in identifying the beneficiaries.
Cuttack is the second populous district in the State as per the 2011 Census, and it is estimated that the district cuurrently has a population of over 26.77 lakh. “As per the NFSA norms, 18.74 lakh people are eligible to get ration cards in the district, and we have identified only 16.10 lakh beneficiaries till now,” Mishra said, adding that steps are on to identify 2.64 lakh beneficiaries more in next three months. Women and Child Development Minister Usha Devi distributed the digitised ration cards to 34 beneficiaries at a function held here on the day to launch the programme.