New Delhi

Thousands caught lying to get cheap rations

NEW DELHI: An owner of a top-of-the-line Honda car and a senior teacher are among many people who have been found by the Delhi Government’s Food and Civil Services Department to have lied in sworn affidavits that their annual family income was less than Rs.1 lakh.

Their bluff was called when the stamping of the ration cards for Above Poverty Line applicants came under scrutiny through a random check.

Also, over 50,000 people have been found to have lied on affidavit for obtaining subsidised kerosene through the Public Distribution System.

Following a review meeting of the Public Distribution System chaired by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Haroon Yusuf informed that several well-to-do people had been found to have submitted false affidavits about their annual income to avail of the Above Poverty Line scheme under which wheat and rice are being provided at subsidised rates.

Of the government employees, only the D Category personnel qualify for the APL scheme.

The Minister said the stamping of the APL cards had been extended by 15 days up to April 15. While there were 24.5 lakh APL card holders earlier, he said, now the number has come down to 13.27 lakh with the new income criteria. Under the scheme, 18 kg of wheat and 10 kg of rice would be provided to every family.

In the Below Poverty Line category, too, for which the annual income is pegged at Rs.24,000, the Minister informed that of the 4.39 lakh card holders, 99,000 have now been found to be ineligible for the scheme.

At the meeting, it was also pointed out that as many as 50,000 cases of people fraudulently drawing kerosene rations despite possessing cooking gas connections had also come to light.

Action against these people, who too have lied on affidavit, is also being contemplated.

During the review meeting, Ms. Dikshit also directed the department officials to ensure that the rations are distributed to the people by the tenth of every month. As the department officials said that they were facing problem of manpower since 40 per cent of the staff were women and they were usually intimidated by the people, the Chief Minister directed them to discuss the matter with the Department Secretary so that necessary transfers to other departments could be carried out.

Food Commissioner Vijay Mohan Dev expressed confidence that the delivery mechanism of the Public Distribution System would improve once computerisation of all the offices at the circle, district and head office levels takes place. He said this would allow for fast exchange of information and give a clear idea to the senior official about the level of ration inventory at various distribution outlets.

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