The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has not ruled out the possibility of lifting of food grains during the currency of the cancelled ration cards during financial year 2014-15 in Chhattisgarh.
The CAG in its report on “General, Social and Economic (Non-PSU sectors)” for the year ended March 31, 2015 released on Thursday mentioned that the State Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department issued 72.42 lakh ration cards under Chhattisgarh Food Security Act in September 2013.
However, the process of verification resulted in cancellation of 1.56 lakh ration cards till March 2014. After the issuing of June 2014 directives, by the Department for verification of bogus ration cards, 7.30 lakh ration cards were cancelled as of May 2015 on account of duplication, death and absence from the place. Hence possibility of issue of food grains on these ration cards before their cancellation cannot be ruled out, it observed.
The State Government in December 2015 in its reply stated that as the time limit for receipt and verification of applications and issue of ration cards were very short, there were discrepancies in preparation and distribution of ration cards. However, during the year 2014-15, 7.71 lakh ration cards were cancelled after verification, the report mentioned.
The government further stated that in not a single month during the year 2013-14, the entire 72.42 lakh ration card holders had lifted food grains, it stated.
CAG in its report stated, “The reply of the Government is not acceptable as during the currency of the cancelled ration cards, possibility of lifting of food grains cannot be ruled out.”