Ration cards declared invalid, poor go without benefits, find fault with survey

Parvesh Sharma

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Sangrur, February 7

Many poor people have alleged that officials of the Food and Civil Supply and other departments have declared their ration cards invalid and termed them ineligible for the benefits of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) scheme without proper verification of facts about their families.

No card cancelled

So far, we have not cancelled anyone’s ration card. We have only put up lists of persons found ineligible during a survey… Narinder Singh, DFSC, Sangrur

But officials concerned said only primary findings had concluded and they had invited objections.

“I am labourer and only bread winner of my family. My income is not regular, but officials concerned without checking the facts have included my name in the list of ineligible persons. Now, officials say I should submit my proof, which they already have,” said Gurmeet Singh while coming out from the Sangrur Deputy Commissioner’s office.

Another resident Satwant Singh said neither he had any land nor any house in Sangrur city and stayed in a rented place. Still, Punjab Government officials considered him as ineligible for the NFSA scheme, he said.

“I have met Food and Civil Supply Department officials and went to the DC office today to submit my documents,” he said.

As per the details procured form the Food and Civil Supply Department, there are total 1,76,580 ration card holders in Sangrur district.

On the directions of the Punjab Government, officials of the local government and revenue departments under the supervision of Deputy Commissioners at the district level are conducting surveys in the rural and urban areas to find ineligible beneficiaries of the NFSA scheme. Teams of officials concerned are going door-to-door to check the details of all beneficiaries.

As per norms all, including landless agriculture labourers, old age pensioners, who do not have any other family member to support them and their annual income is upto Rs 60,000 and the homeless and persons living in ‘kutcha’ houses are eligible for the NFSA scheme benefits.

“Till date, we have not cancelled ration card of anyone and only put up lists of persons found ineligible during the survey. If anyone is wrongly mentioned in the list, he should approach our officials with required documents for rectification of the mistake,” said Narinder Singh, District Food and Supply Controller, Sangrur.