Cuttack: Many poor people in the district here are being denied subsidised food grains under the Public Distribution System (PDS) as the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare (FS&CW) department has failed to issue ration cards to them.
These poor people have virtually lost their hopes to get ration cards after approaching the district FS&CW department several times.
Protesting the delay in the issuance of ration cards, some people had filed cases in a permanent Lok Adalat in the district here. Taking up the case, the court has imposed penalties on the district civil supplies officer (CSO) for inordinate delay in issuing ration cards to eligible people, sources said.
The Union government had launched the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 to provide subsidised food grains to poor and low income people in the country. This apart, the state government has launched its own food security scheme to provide subsidised food grains to poor and vulnerable people who have been excluded from the NFSA on various grounds.
However, the district FS&CW department has failed to issue ration cards to hundreds of eligible people. The officials concerned usually cite one reason or other for delay in issuing ration cards to the applicants.
According to sources, Sasmita Sahu, a resident of Bidyadharpur had submitted an application to avail a ration card under the Odisha food security scheme. She had submitted all necessary documents to the district FS&CW department. However, Sahu could not get a ration card despite raising the issue several times with the authorities concerned.
Subsequently, she had filed a case in a permanent Lok Adalat in the district. Taking up the case, the court had sought replies from the commissioner of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) and district CSO.
The CMC commissioner had informed the court that Sahu was eligible for ration card under the Odisha food security scheme. On the other hand, the district CSO told the court that they had sent a list of new beneficiaries for the Odisha food security scheme to the state government. The district FS&CW department could not issue ration cards without getting the approval from the state government, the CSO told to the court.
Subsequently, the court had served notices on the Centre and state government and sought their replies on the issue. In their replies, the Centre and the state told the court that there was no problem in issuing ration cards to eligible people.
Soon the Lok Adalat imposed a penalty of Rs 2,000 on the district CSO and directed him to issue a ration card to Sahu.
Besides, the court has imposed monetary fines of Rs 4,000 on the district CSO in connection with two similar cases filed by Subhadra Saha and Janhanara Bibi, two other eligible persons for inclusion in the Odisha food security scheme, sources said.
When contacted, district CSO Amar Mahapatra said they have sent a list of eligible people for the Odisha food security scheme to the state government. “We will issue ration cards to the applicants after receiving due approval from the state government,” he added.