Residents hold protest over cancellation of blue cards

Bathinda, June 23

Residents of Parasram Nagar on Sunday staged a protest over the cancellation of blue cards. Led by former SAD councilor Vijay, residents raised slogans against the state government.

Vijay said, “The state government has cancelled more than 48,000 blue cards in Bathinda district alone on the pretext of verification. The count in the state is much higher than that. Under the scheme, people who were downtrodden or those struggling to make both ends meet were getting wheat and pulse at subsidised rates. But, the government has cancelled all cards citing verification as the reason. Government officials stated that after verification, eligible beneficiaries would be issued new blue cards.”

He said, “In the poll manifesto prior to the Assembly elections in 2017, Capt Amarinder Singh had mentioned that after forming the government in the state, apart from aata and dal, the beneficiaries of blue card holders would also be provided with sugar, ghee, tea and soap. But, leave aside providing all these essential commodities which are used in every household, the state government has even failed to provide wheat and pulse. Poor families have been swindled by the state government.”

Baldev Kumar, a blue card beneficiary, said, “I have nothing to do with the tall promises made by the government. I just want that it must resume the previous scheme under which we were getting one kg of wheat for Rs2 and pulse for Rs20 per kg.” — TNS