Taking cue from the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre, which is going to stop supply of lPG at subsidised rates to those who are earning more than Rs10 lakh per annum, the Congress-led Uttarakhand Government is going to stop issuing new ration cards to those whose wards are residing abroad.
In this way the State Government is going to cut the subsidy cost which they have been making to ensure disbursement of subsidised foodgrains to the ration card holders through fair-price shops. The State has imposed a blanket ban on issuance of ration cards to those who have a ward residing abroad because the State believes that their income is more than the prescribed limit.
Under the State food security schemes (SFSS) if a beneficiary's children are residing abroad then such a person would not be issued ration card by the State food and civil supply department. The State Government has decided to issue such cards to such families who have been earning upto Rs five lakh per annum.
As per the new rule, if any beneficiary has children living in a foreign country then there would be grounds to believe that their income would be more than Rs 5 lakh per annum. Even if they want to get fresh card issued then they will have to delete their children's name from the card otherwise they will not be issued fresh ration card under the SFSS.
With the inception of Food Security Act (FSA), the State Government had included APl card holders into this category. Under this scheme doctors and engineers have been kept in a different category. Due to this APl card holders, whose income is less than Rs 5 lakh per annum are being issued fresh ration card after thorough scrutiny.
According to sources, in Dehradun alone more than 50,000 ration card holders are not meeting the criteria of income limit so such cards would be cancelled shortly. During the scrutiny it had also been noticed that the several card holders' children are working abroad but they are adamant to get their card issued because they are not getting financial support from their children. In this case the State has been asking them to delete from the card the name of the ward residing abroad in order to be accepted as eligible for the benefits in question.