BHADRAK: Irregularities in selection and distribution of ration cards have been found in Bhadrak Municipality area. As per National Food Security Act (NFSA), the administration should select beneficiaries to the extent of 78 per cent in rural areas and 53 per cent in urban areas.
However, deviating from the guidelines, the district administration has selected more beneficiaries in municipality area. As a result, thousands of genuine beneficiaries have been left out in rural areas. Sources said the district administration has selected 32,000 more beneficiaries than the target fixed by the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare department in municipality area.
The district Civil Supply Office (CSO) has selected 11,33,000 beneficiaries under NFSA against the target of 11,29,261. The CSO has identified 32,000 more beneficiaries from the town than the target while nearly 40,000 beneficiaries in rural areas have applied to get ration cards, said a supply officer on condition of anonymity. Due to political interference in selection process, genuine beneficiaries were left out. Even poor widows and persons with disabilities have been deprived of benefits, he added. Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Department, in a letter to the Collector, has sought correction in the beneficiary list.
During scrutiny, names of nearly 7,000 fake beneficiaries have been deleted in municipality area, said Assistant Civil Supply Officer Hadibandhu Saw.