Odisha Minister Asks Ineligible Beneficiaries To Return Ration Cards

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has asked ineligible beneficiaries to surrender their ration cards acquired through fraudulent means immediately before action is initiated against them.

Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra said that many people under high income group categories and government employees were found to have got ration cards in the state. These people should surrender their ration cards obtained through fraudulent means, he said.

It came to light during e-KYC verification process that several income taxpayers including officers and doctors were the beneficiaries under food security schemes, Patra said.

Urging these people to return the ration cards at the earliest, the Minister said that action will be taken against ineligible beneficiaries who have managed to get ratio cards.

Noting that the government has started verifying the documents, he said those who have been the beneficiaries through fraudulent methods will be caught soon. While the government would remove them from the list, such ineligible beneficiaries should surrender the cards, Patra said.

If necessary, they will be penalised for the offence. Money will be recovered from them by imposing fine from the date of issue of the ration cards, the Minister said.

The Minister had recently revealed that around four lakh income taxpayers had availed ration cards under the food security scheme during the previous government.