“I have no idea about any such order issued at the district level. The Food and Civil Supplies department has issued no such order. Moreover, no card holder can be declared ineligible on the basis of having a pucca house or having an electricity connection or motorcycle,” he said.
Minister of State of Food and Civil Supplies Satish Sharma said that the government has no intention of debarring bona fide consumers from the Public Distribution System. “Till May 22 we have 14.93 crore ration card holders and no direction has been issued asking people to surrender their ration cards,” the minister also reiterated.
He explained that every year new names are added to the list and some names are removed because people die, migrate or climb the economic ladder and become ineligible. “This is a voluntary effort, no government order is issued,” he claimed, adding that the department does carry out surveys if it receives complaints. In 2017 the Yogi government had carried out a campaign against bogus ration cards under which 27 lakh ration cards were cancelled, he recalled.
Will the government then inquire or take action against district officials who issued the misleading notices and created confusion? “Will the government order an inquiry or ask for an explanation,” the minister was asked.
Sharma said that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will take a call on this. Yogi holds Food and Civil Supply ministry besides the charge of 31 other departments.
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