New ration cards from next year

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, AUG. 14. New ration cards will be introduced in the State with effect from January 2002, the Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Mr. G. Karthikeyan, said here today.

The process for issue of new cards has begun. Applications for new cards will be accepted till August 22 on declaration forms available from the ration shops for Re. 1 per form. New names could be added or names deleted while applying, the Minister said.

For the first time, details of Keralites working outside the State will be entered in the ration cards with the remark `NRK'. As the information collected through the declaration forms is to be digitised and used for developmental planning, major members of the family will be required to enter the number of their voter identity cards also, if they have the identity cards. The age should be entered as on December 31, 2001, he said.

The applicant, he said, should give their correct income and details such as whether they belong to the Above Poverty Line (APL) or Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. The APL families would be issued cards with skyblue colour, and BPL families, cards with pink-rose colour. The card will have information like electric and gas connections.

An opinion survey, he said, has also to be filled up by applicants submitting the declaration for issue of new cards. The new cards would be issued after verifying the details by matching the information with existing cards. Random enumerations would also be done.

Though the six-year validity period of the existing cards had expired in December 2000, alternative arrangements had been made for one year. Even if card-holders have changed residence, the applications are to be filed with the ration shop where the card is registered. However, the new address should be given. Non- residents could get ration on their return upon production of a certificate to that effect.

The Minister said that there were now 65 lakhs ration card holders in the State. Their number might go up to 70 lakhs when the new cards are issued.

He said that the State subsidy for rice supplied to APL families through ration shops had been discontinued. The State subsidy for BPL families would continue.

Mr. Karthikeyan said he would hold discussions with the FCI authorities on Thursday to ensure quality of rice supplied through ration shops. The FCI was now releasing rice which was more than three years old. Such low quality rice would not be accepted.

He said that the metro fairs started by the Civil Supplies Corporation in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode were showing a 50 per cent increase in sales compared to last year. Onam fairs will start in other districts on August 16.

Mr. Karthikeyan said that the comment, Mr. Sukumar Azhikode, social critic, that two of the Ministers in the Antony Cabinet did not even have the qualifications to become peons was unfortunate. Only qualified persons were there in the Cabinet.

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