The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Move to weed out ration cards opposed

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Thursday, Jul 02, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Move to weed out ration cards opposed

Correspondent

Opposition parties threaten to launch agitation

Round table meet on the issue organised
Distribution of land to poor demanded

VIZIANAGARAM: CPI, Lok Satta, Praja Rajyam parties, AP Vyavasaya Karmika Sangam and other mass organisations have expressed serious concern over the government decision to weed out bogus white ration cards in the State. They threatened to launch an agitation if the ration cards of eligible were cancelled.

Addressing a press conference after the round table meeting here on Wednesday, CPI district secretary P. Kameswara Rao said the government had issued ration cards even to ineligible with an eye on elections. Now, the government might cancel cards of the eligible people, who had voted against the Congress in the elections, he feared.

The CPI leader said already the Joint Collector had issued instructions to FP dealers to stop supplying essentials two months ahead of the impending survey of bogus cards that is scheduled to begin from August 1. He said AP Vyavasaya Karmika Sangham had decided to protest against the anti-poor policies of the government and the CPI would support its stir.

Mr. Kameswara Rao said the government had distributed four lakh acres only out of 50 lakh acres available during the last five years to the poor. He demanded that the government lands occupied by the poor during the ‘struggle for land’ stir launched by the Left parties be distributed to them. He criticised the government for reducing quota of red gram from 1 kg to half kg in FP shops and also increasing it to Rs. 45 per kg from Rs. 30.

A. Ananda Rao, district secretary of AP Vyavasaya Karmika Sangam, demanded that the government distribute lands to SC/STs under the Forest Rights Act. Y. Gopala Rao, vice-president of Mala Mahanadu, A. Mohana Rao, co-convenor of Praja Rajyam, S. Saibabu, district general secretary of the Lok Satta Party, B. Suribabu, district secretary of AITUC and others spoke.

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Andhra Pradesh