Bhubaneswar: While the state government has issued a new ration card application form for its own food security scheme, the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare minister, Surya Narayan Patro,has raised eyebrows by uploading it on his social media account.
The minister has sent the soft copies of the application forms to the block chairmen and presidents from his Facebook and Twitter accounts on WhatsApp asking them to fill up the forms and apply for ration cards in their respective blocks at the earliest.
Talking to the media about the matter here Sunday, the minister said that the state government through district collectors and Civil Supply officials had informed the eligible and left-out beneficiaries to include their name in its own food security scheme. To enable the beneficiaries, the government has sent the new application forms to all the blocks, which will be sent to all panchayats.
Asked whether he had sent these forms to the block chairmen and presidents on the instruction of his party, Patro said it was his personal message to his party men.
“I have sent these forms in WhatsApp to the block chairmen and presidents as they belong to the BJD and are very close to me. I have just informed them about the new application forms and asked them to download these forms and apply in the block office at the earliest. It was my personal message to them,” he clarified.