People’s displeasure over the State Government’s order for return of NFSA cards was well marked on Thursday at three different places of the State with common people and members of opposition Congress and BJP taking to the street against the order.
Tension ran high in the premises of Gajapati district’s Gumma block office as a very large mob, protesting against the directive asking ineligible beneficiaries to return cards, ransacked the office rooms and fought a pitched battle with police personnel present there.
As many 10 police personnel, including a DSP and an ASI, were injured as agitators pelted stones at them.
“The police and district administration officials tried to dissuade the angry public, but the situation went out of control,” said BDO Subadara Pradhan, adding that he has lodged an FIR against people involved in ransacking the office. The situation was brought under control when the district administration mobilised more police force from Paralakhemundi.
A similar incident happened in Rourkela when a large number of Congress activists ransacked the Supply office alleging collection of 10 per cent fine from ineligible beneficiaries returning their ration cards.
Rourkela Congress Committee president Biren Senapati alleged that poor people are returning their ration cards out of fear and the worst is that fine is being collected from them.
Meanwhile, BJP activists in Kuchinda in Sambalpur district held a rally in the town along with more than a hundred beneficiaries and submitted a memorandum addressed to the district Collector.
The rally was led by Kuchinda MlA Rabinarayan Nayak. “I have asked the beneficiaries not to their return the cards if they are following the rule,” he said.