THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Absolute chaos prevailed at the Neyyatinkara taluk supply office where thousands thronged to make corrections in their ration cards on Monday. The majority of them were denied the ration cards as they were put in the APL category as per the National Food Security Act (NFSA) which will be implemented in the state from November 1 by restructuring the APL and BPL cards. The ration card owners, most of them women, were made to stand in long queues under the scorching sun at the taluk office and several of them fell unconscious. Trade union leaders condemned the incident and asked the government to allocate the ration cards through 14,300 ration shops in the state.
The UPA government had implemented Food Security Act in 2013. However, the UDF government went slow citing that a large section of people would be thrown out of the beneficiary list. The NDA government at the centre withheld the monthly APL rice allotment following the failure of the state government to implement the Act. As part of implementing the Act from November 1, Food and Civil Supplies Minister P. Thilothaman decided to distribute the forms for the new ration cards from October 22 onwards.
On Monday, several thousands thronged the 63 Supplyco offices across the state to make the corrections in their ration cards. At the Neyyatinkara taluk supply office, there were only a few officials to attend to their grievances. "I have been standing here from daybreak. These officers should come to our homes to sort out the issues," said a woman in her 70s. As per the priority list, there are 1.54 crore people in the list for getting new ration cards. The detailed time table for receiving the applications and issuing new ration cards was informed to the respective panchayats, ration shops, taluk supply offices and also put on the website of Civil Supplies Corporation www.civilsupplieskerala.gov.in.
But it is alleged that those living in the coastal areas especially at Neyyatinkara were not aware of the time-table. As a result, there was a huge rush at the supply office bringing the town to a standstill. All-India Ration Dealers Association general secretary Babychan Mukkadan told DC that at present only Rs 1.54 crore people in the state will get ration cards and the remaining 1.79 crore would be left out. "The priority list should have 52.63 per cent of beneficiaries from urban areas and 39.5 per cent from rural areas. This would mean that 1.79 crore people will be left out of the purview of the PDS", said Mr. Mukkadan.
He also informed that when former union food and civil supplies minister K. V. Thomas had passed the Food Security Act in 2013, it was agreed that only 1.54 crore people will be included in the PDS. "The NDA government has stated that only 1.54 crore people will come under the approved list in the state. As of now the application for new ration cards will be accepted until October 31. During November 1-7 a committee comprising panchayat secretary, village officer, rationing inspector and anganwadi supervisor will go through the applications and scrutinise them," he added.
Applications to be accepted till October 31
Food and civil supplies minister P. Thilothaman said that the government would intervene in the ration card issue and that applications will be accepted until October 31. He said the LDF government was committed to settling the issue and complaints on new ration cards could be handed over to officials at local bodies and village offices across the state. Following reports from several districts of confusion prevailed in receiving the complaints, the food minister called an emergency meeting of officials. But he was conspicuous by his absence at the meeting chaired by Thiruvananthapuram district collector S. Venkatesapathy.
Thiruvananthapuram district supply officer P. Rama Devi said after the meeting that the district scrutinising committee members would accept complaints from cardholders. Apart from the district collector, ADM John V. Samuel, RDO Sabeena Sameed and deputy collectors attended the meeting. "So far only officials at Taluk Supply Offices were taking complaints. Now the panchayat, village, corporation and ICDS offices will receive them, and they have been intimated about it," she said. If the cardholder is not satisfied with the committee members' approach, she said, they can get in touch with the respective district collector who is the appellate authority. The panel also comprises of district social justice officer, ADC (general), panchayat director and deputy director.
