Special drive from Feb 1 to detect ‘ineligible’ ration cards

 

 

 

Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Protection Department of Maharashtra Government has decided to implement a special drive to detect ‘ineligible’ ration card holders and cancel such ration cards. During the three-month drive starting from February 1, the department officials will conduct scrutiny of existing ration cards. Mahesh Kanade, Desk Officer of the department, has issued a circular in this regard to all the District Collectors, all Municipal Commissioners, all Commissioners of Police, all Superintendents of Police, and Chief Executive Officers of all Zilla Parishads in the State.

 

The circular states clearly that the ration cards found to be with ineligible beneficiaries would be cancelled and the foodgrains allocation (quota) of the fair price shops concerned would be curtailed appropriately. Ration cards under various categories viz. below poverty line (BPL), Antyoday Yojana, Annapoorna Yojana, orange and white cards, and establishment cards will be scrutinised during the special drive. The beneficiaries of public distribution system will have to furnish information in prescribed format to the officials concerned. The information to be furnished includes residence proof, LPG connection number, bank passbook, electricity/telephone bill, identity card etc. The documents to be furnished along with duly filled form should not date back to more than one year. Once the officials receive the forms from beneficiaries, they will categorise the beneficiaries in two groups -- A (those who furnish requisite documents) and B (those who do not furnish necessary documents).

 

The benefit of public distribution system to those in Category A will continue. However, the ration cards of beneficiaries in Category B will be suspended immediately and fair price shops concerned will be asked not to issue foodgrains to them. Such beneficiaries in Category B will be given 15 days to furnish necessary documents, or by the end of extended deadline. If the beneficiaries fail to furnish the documents even at expiry of the deadline given, their ration cards will be cancelled. Further, the officials have been asked to ensure that two ration cards (especially of BPL or Antyoday Yojana) are not issued in one family or at one address. The ration cards of persons with annual income above Rs 1 lakh will be scrapped forthwith. Also, the ration cards, if issued to foreign nationals especially in urban areas of State, will be scrapped. In such cases, help of the police machinery should be taken, states the circular. Deceased persons, migrated persons, those having two ration cards will be deleted from the list of beneficiaries. If the ration cards have been issued wrongly and Government officials/employees are found responsible for the same, they will face action as per the laws.