Having taken a very strong note of the cancelation of 2.53 lakh ration cards, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government has directed Food and Civil Supplies department to restore the cancelled ration cards without any further delay. The Government also warned officers that they will be 'personally responsible' for starvation deaths of eligible beneficiaries.
Between July and August, the Delhi Government claimed that over 2.53 lakh ration cards were cancelled allegedly by Delhi's Food Commissioner, despite strong objections by the Food and Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain.
In a circular issued last week, Hussain ordered officials to immediately restore the cancelled cards. “The Minister by virtue of powers conferred by the TPDS (Targeted Public Distribution System) Control order, 2015 to the state government has accordingly directed that the FSOs (Food and Supply Officers) of circles shall immediately restore the deleted 2,53,178 ration cards,” the circular read.
In the circular, Hussain also said non-compliance of the directions “shall invite stringent disciplinary action against the FSO/FSI (Food and Supply Inspector)”. “Any death occurring in Delhi due to starvation/non-availability of ration to the otherwise eligible beneficiaries whose card has been cancelled without proper verification, shall also invite criminal action besides disciplinary action against the concerned FSO/FSI for which they shall be personally responsible,” it said.
It may be recalled that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had reacted sharply over the abrupt cancellation of ration cards by the Commissioner of Food and Civil Supplies department. Kejriwal went ahead the alleged that the Prime Minister's Office has “pressurised” its officers to cancel around 2.53 lakh ration cards in the national capital because of which poor are struggling for food.
Taking cue from the AAP convener, chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj had flayed the BJP Government for “defending officers responsible for large-scale corruption in ration distribution system in Delhi.” “It was the responsibility of Food Commissioner's officials to conduct a door-to-door survey to ensure genuine ration card beneficiaries were not denied their right,” he said.