KOCHI: The honeymoon period for government employees and service pensioners who have unwittingly made it to the priority list drawn up as part of the Food Safety Act implementation is well and truly over. If the district administration has its way, these undeserving entries have to make a voluntary declaration and exit the list. Otherwise, they run the risk of losing out on promotions/ increment or pension benefits, whichever the case may be.
District Collector K Muhammed Y Safeerullah has set up a squad for carrying out the drive to weed out undeserving households from the priority list.“The inclusion of undeserving families in the list has also led to exclusion of deserving families. It will be better if those figuring in the list by default voluntarily opt out,” the Collector said.
If government staffers, teachers, employees of Public Sector Undertakings and service pensioners have been included in the ration cards listed on the priority list, such ration cards have to be surrendered before the District Collector by July 22.
The squad comprising a senior superintendent at the collectorate, senior superintendent at the District Supply Office and rationing inspectors in the respective taluk supply offices will start field inspection after the deadline for surrendering the ration cards expires. In the event of government employees or service pensioners’ figuring in the list, recommendations for withholding promotions/ increment and pension benefits, respectively will be sent to the government.