Surrender ration cards or face the law: Daimary to wealthy holders

OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, June 14: The State Food and Civil Supply department has decided to ask the people from well-to-do backgrounds, who had illegally received ration cards under the tiol Food Security Act (NFSA) during the tenure of the previous government, to surrender their cards by July 15, failing which the government would initiate legal action against such card holders.

State Food and Civil Supply minister Rihon Daimary said this following a review meeting of the department in Dispur today.

“We have received information that lots of people from well-to-do backgrounds illegally received ration cards in the State under the NFSA. These people are in no way entitled to get the ration cards. So we have decided today to ask them to surrender their cards before July 15, failing which we will take legal action against them,” Daimary told reporters. As per the tiol Food Security Act, only people whose annual income is below Rs 1 lakh are entitled to get the ration cards.

Sources alleged that many beneficiaries of the food scheme were selected whose annual incomes are much above Rs 1 lakh. There are further allegations that many such persons selected as beneficiaries, are government employees and pensioners, established businessmen and owners of vehicles who do not come within the provisions of ‘small and margil categories’ as specified in the Act.