A door-to-door survey was conducted to identify the bogus and duplicate ration cards only to protect the poor as well as the treasury of the State, Minister for Civil Supplies Jupally Krishna Rao said on Thursday.
Participating in a Praja Patham programme at Rajiv Nagar in the 58th municipal division, the Minister said all eligible families should enjoy the benefits of having ration cards, but the same benefits should not go to those who were well-to-do. In future all Designated Photography Location (DPL) centres would be made online for the prevention of duplication. The iris images of the new applicants would be checked for a match in the data bank of 4.7 crore iris images that were already available. He said every positive step of the government was being shown in a negative light by vested interests.
While mobile phone numbers of cardholders were being collected to provide them information of quota being released to fair price shop dealers for the sake of transparency, the cardholders were being told not to give the numbers because it was a prelude to cancellation.
Kerosene quota
The Minister said the quota of kerosene to cardholders in the cities was reduced from eight litres to six because the Centre reduced the quota to the State by 70 lakh litres. But wheat flour would be distributed at reasonable price through fair price shops. While there was a tremendous demand for wheat at Rs. 7 a kg, there were no takers for better quality wheat at Rs. 12 a kg. So it was decided to make the wheat into flour and distribute the same.
The 58th division corporator M. Satyavati presided over the programme.
Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal said that former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy strived to establish ‘Indiramma Rajyam', while present Chief Minister K. Rosaiah was striving to establish both ‘Indiramma Rajyam' and ‘YSR Rajyam'. Though the speed of the works had decreased a little, work was progressing steadily.
