Baramulla: The recently-issued order by the Department of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Kashmir asking all those ration card holders under AAY and PHH category whose financial position had improved to voluntarily surrender their ration cards has drawn to attention hundreds of ration card holders of Baramulla district who have ‘fraudulently’ obtained ration cards under AAY and PHH category.
The Department of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Kashmir Wednesday issued an order asking all such ration card holders whose economic condition had improved to voluntarily surrender their ration cards.
“Since the implementation of National Food Security Act (NFSA), the economic condition of many households has improved either through acquiring of government job or through other means, rendering them ineligible for receiving ration under AAY and PHH categories. As such all such ration card holders are advised to voluntarily surrender their ration tickets issued in their favour under AAY or PHH categories within a period of 15 days,” the order read.
Officials in Baramulla district who had received ample complaints about the fake entries under such categories believe that the order of volunteer surrender of the AAY and PHH ration cards would yield less result unless re-verification of such ration card holders was initiated.
“The ration card list under AAY and PHH category has a lot of illegal entries as some government employees as well as economically-sound people are enrolled in the list. No one is voluntarily ready to surrender their ration card unless some punishment for such people is fixed or re-verification of such cards is carried out,” he said.
In Baramulla district alone, there are over 1,30,000 households registered under AAY and PHH categories. Following repeated complaints of fake entries in such a list, Deputy Commissioner Baramulla earlier last year issued an order vide No DCB/PS/2968-79, dated 03-07-2020 seeking re-verification of ration card list under NPHH, PHH, AAY and BPL categories.
However, despite passing of one year, no such exercise was carried by the committee comprising members from village level, tehsil level and district level committees.
“The re-verification of beneficiaries could have shown scores of fake ration card holders who are part of the AAY and PHH or BPL list,” said an official working in the Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department.
He said, “It is very difficult that ration card holders whose financial position has improved or those who are already financially sound but have obtained AAY, PHH and BPL ration cards will surrender voluntarily.”
The AAY and PHH category is meant for poor and the poorest person of the society and such beneficiaries are entitled for various benefits. if some financially sound person is enrolled under such category that means he is doing injustice to the person in abject poverty.
Meanwhile, Director CSCA, Dr Abdul Salam said a deadline of 15 days had been given to all those beneficiaries who were illegible under AAY and PHH categories owing to their raised economical status.
“After 15 days, the department will initiate action against such beneficiaries,” he said