Amid continued political dog-fight between Opposition parties and ruling BJP over alleged hunger deaths of Santoshi Kumari in Simdega sometime ago and Baidyanath Das in Dhanbad on Saturday last week, Food, Public Distribution and Civil Supplies Minister Saryu Roy has made it clear that availability of food grains through Public Distribution System (PDS) dealers will be ensured for all having any of the registered and valid identity cards in State.
The Minister on Sunday ordered all the district supplies officers to ensure availability of an Exception Register at all PDS shops for those beneficiaries who have been facing issues with their Aadhar cards, also hinted that he has no issues with Aadhar seeding in PDS system, as it does carry benefits of its own. He said that even those having Aadhar Card might face issues like no thumb impression reading by the machine or any other hurdle and they can write Aadhar Number in Exception Register to receive monthly ration.
Roy has called a meeting of dealer representatives from across the State on October 30. This representatives who are members of vigilance committees at State, district and block levels, have been invited to come up with their issues, difficulties and suggestions, said the Minister.
“Aadhaar seeding in PDS system is not bad and it has benefits of its own. But it must not prevent someone to entertain their rights of food, and my entire effort is directed towards availability of food for all in the State. So, I am not against entire process of Aadhaar seeding with ration cards. This (process) can continue alongside those having issues with Aadhaar Card continuing receiving their ration through other available cards with them,” said Roy on Sunday.
He said that any decision on making Aadhar Card only government approved document for PDS even after 100 percent Aadhar seeding will be taken only after the Supreme Court delivers its verdict on the issue in one case filed for the same purpose.
Roy also slammed fraction of societies and intellectuals who have been criticising Government’s move of distributing ration through Aadhaar and e-PoS machines. He said that machine was not going to rule the government but was there to be governed for the benefit of all.
“I shall ask people to take benefits of it and those having any problem can receive ration through Exception Register,” said Roy. Notably, District Public Relations Officer (Dhanbad) has on Sunday ruled out hunger death of Baidyanath Das saying that he died of illness and the family had two other earning members too.
Meanwhile, political kick-backs continued on the issue of alleged hunger deaths in State as State RJD spokesperson Manoj Kumar criticised the Government saying that the State was in a state of anarchy. He said that the government was heading towards wiping out the poor by 2022 in place of wiping out poverty.
State BJP Spokesperson Pratul Shahdev at the same time countered charges of opposition asking them not to do politics over corpses of the poor. He said that both the deaths were primarily caused by diseases and the government didn’t waste even a single moment to extend all kinds of help to the families of deceased. He added that the opposition had reached to the threshold of negative politics in State.