Rajaboina Tirumalesh, son of late R. Ramaswamy, and resident of Ramnagar, has been running around the civil supplies offices to get the names of him and his family members in the official list of ration cardholders.
“The family has been receiving rations for several years, even after 2011 after Ramaswamy’s death. However, after the survey, our names were removed from the list, but our dead father’s name features.”
When this matter was reported to the civil supplies office, the staff directed them to wait till the new ration cards, now named “Food Security”, cards are issued. Mr Tirumalesh’s family is dependent on ration.
Assistant supply officer of Circle VI Vijay Kumar denied such complaints. Mr Kumar said, “There is no connection between the ration cards and the survey.” He assured that he is into to this case.
Mohammed Raheem, resident of Amberpet, added that his ration card was also rejected soon after the survey. “How can a private employee, living as tenant in a slum area not be eligible for a ration card? Mr Raheem asked.
Several challenged and elderly pension beneficiaries are also being denied cards. Hari Das, 58, a physically-challenged pensioner has not been receiving pension for two months.
According to official figures, prior to the survey, there were 91.84 lakh ration cards in TS for 84.20 lakh houses. There were more cards than the number of houses, and as a result, authorities struck off around 12 lakh ration cards, and 70 lakh individual beneficiaries from the list.
C. Parthasarathy, commissioner for civil supplies, said that post the survey, 85-90 per cent ration cards are being linked to Aadhaar cards. Applications for the food security cards will approved soon after verification has been completed.
For every 500 to 800 ration cards there is one ration depot and post house hold survey around 85 to 90 per cent ration cards are now linked to Aadhaar cards said, Mr. C. Parthasarathy, Commissioner for Civil Supplies. The new applications for Food Security cards are expected to be approved soon after it is verified.
C. Parthasarathy, commissioner for civil supplies, said that post the survey, 85-90 per cent ration cards are being linked to Aadhaar cards.
Though the initiative to remove fake cards and ineligible individuals is good, but just to cut down the number officials striking off cards is wrong, said Mr. Padmanabha Reddy, member of Forum for Good Governance.