The UP government made it clear on Tuesday that even if a ration card-holder was found ineligible, ration provided to the family will not be recovered under any circumstances.
“There is no such arrangement,” claimed Leader of the House in Legislative Council Swatantra Dev Singh while replying to an adjournment motion of Bahujan Samaj Party member Bhimrao Ambedkar. Singh, who is also Cabinet minister for Jal Shakti, clarified that the ration of any eligible card-holder is not going to be stopped.
Speaking in the Council, Singh clarified the conditions wherein a card holder was eligible and where he became ineligible. The opposition members, however, were not convinced by his reply.
Cancelling the adjournment motion, the Legislative Council chairman ordered that the government would continue to take necessary action in this regard. Participating in the discussion in the Council, BSP MLC Bhimrao Ambedkar said that many district magistrates had warned people that if they were found ineligible, their ration would be withdrawn and recovery would be made from them.
“If a person had bought wheat six months ago and recovery is done from today, there will be a lot of burden on him. The government should clarify whether this will happen or not. What action is being taken by the government against district magistrates who had announced recovery of food grains,” he said.
In response to this, Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh said that from Dalits and backward Muslims to all classes, ration was being provided twice a month due to which the people were very happy. “There is no provision for recovery of ration from those who are ineligible, nor will it happen. There is no need to worry about this as the government never issued such an order,” he said.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party members staged a walkout from the Council over the issue of paper leak in the last five years. They alleged that an organised gang “patronised by the government” was leaking question papers and selling them for Rs 2-4 lakh.
The matter came up during the Zero Hour through an adjournment notice when SP member Man Singh Yadav alleged that papers of competitive examinations were leaked continuously after the BJP formed government in 2017.
“In the 2017 assembly polls, BJP had promised lakhs of jobs to youths but after four months of formation of the government, the paper of sub-inspector exam was leaked,” he said.
“In February 2018, the UP Power Corporation Limited examination paper was leaked. In July 2018, the Subordinate Selection Commission paper was leaked. The government was not serious in holding competitive exams and it is an injustice to the examinees,” he said. Now, the Uttar Pradesh Board papers have also started leaking and recently, the English question paper of Intermediate was leaked. The government is not concerned about the future of the youth,” he alleged.
Leader of Opposition Lal Bihari Yadav alleged that those sitting in big positions in the BJP government were leaking the question papers and selling them for Rs 2-4 lakh. “This is an organised gang patronised by the government,” he alleged.
Minister Jaswant Saini said all competitive exams are being held in a transparent, honest and unbiased manner. The minister also highlighted the appointments made by the government in various departments in the last five years and informed the House about the exams conducted for recruitment in various departments. Unsatisfied with the reply, SP member Man Singh Yadav said that on the one hand, the government has been denying paper leak while on the other, it has been explaining the actions taken in various cases.