The Palamu administration is set to squeeze all such ration card holders who are opulent but are in possession of ration cards thus coming in the way of the poor to be covered under food security Act.
Deputy Commissioner Palamu Ameet Kumar said such illegal, unethical undesirable and uneligible card holders are still sitting tight with the ration cards as only 2,000 to 3,000 such ration cards have been surrendered so far. Such opulent card holders are admonished to keep the ration cards and must surrender it without any delay.
Ameet Kumar said Aadhar card seeding has exposed 50,000 card holders having duplicate ration cards. Explaining the term ‘duplicate ‘ DC Palamu said ‘ By duplicate ration card it is meant that the holder is in possession of more than one ration card and this has been detected and discovered once the Aadahar card number was used in respect of the card holder which showed different number of ration cards’.
Kumar said ‘ All these 50,000 duplicate ration cards will be deleted.
‘He agreed that on deletion of these 50,000 ration cards there will be vacancy for ration cards of the same number which will then open vista for those house holders who have no ration card but are eligible to have one for the family.
According to Palamu district supply officer Albert Weeloung more than 18 lakh people are having ration cards here in this district.
Aadahar card seeding is complete in respect of 12 lakhs of people. Six lakhs people having ration cards are refraining from Aadhar card seeding said Albert Weeloung fearing their questionable possession of ration cards with them.
DC Palamu too reiterated that 85 per cent Aadhar card seeding has been done and efforts are on the anvil for the remaining 6 lakhs and more in this district.
Albert speaking to The Pioneer said, “Ration card is like a dead horse where everyone takes a whip and flogs it.
The rich the affluent and the opulent are the biggest stumbling block for the deliverance of food and other supplies through PDS to the poor and the destitute.”
Ameet Kumar on the other hand taking a pragmatic view said, “Many opulent have ration cards as this Government instrument is a proof of identity and proof of address which is required for obtaining many things even useful at times of voting etc but the opulent miss a vital truth that their possessing it deprives the legitimate poor and destitute of their ration from PDS.”
On the launching of White Card in the state Kumar said, “As of now its coverage area will be wide and big.
Further White Card will not ensure deliverance of rice sugar etc right now ( may be the State Government later on decides for these deliverance too) but a White Card holder will have access to Kerosene oil from PDS.”