Cong slams BJP over ‘denial’ of ration to West Pak refugees

Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 20

Slamming the state government over the deletion of West Pakistan refugee families from the list of ration beneficiaries, the Congress today described the alleged move of the government as “inhuman”.

The party has asked the BJP whether it was a “healing touch” to them under its repeated commitments to this section of society.

On November 17, The Tribune had exclusively reported that the state government had allegedly initiated the process to delete the names of West Pakistan refugees from the list of beneficiaries getting subsidised ration under the National Food Safety Act (NFSA).

In a statement, Ravinder Sharma, chief spokesperson of the J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC), termed the move as “inhuman” for those who were availing this facility for the last 70 years. “Now when the BJP is in power, they are being deprived of this basic facility,” he said.

Sharma said the move has totally exposed the BJP’s double standards for power and vote bank politics. He lashed out the government for this “unjust move” and sought immediate withdrawal of any such direction.

Meanwhile, the ruling BJP has described the denial of subsidised ration to West Pakistan refugees as an “administrative faux pas”.

“We assure the West Pakistan refugees that it was an administrative lapse and they will not be denied subsidised ration. The issue of providing subsidised ration to West Pakistan refugees by the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) department has already been raised in a Cabinet meeting,” Narinder Singh, BJP state general secretary, said in a statement here today. The BJP leader said the Deputy Chief Minister has convened a meeting of officials concerned to inquire into the lapse.

“The affected families are requested to approach the Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, for re-inclusion of their names in the ration card lists. They are advised to contact the Party’s Grievances Cell in case of any difficulty,” he asserted.