The Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) seek the Government to implement the Supreme Court interim order issued as long ago as in 2003 to issue Antyodaya ration cards to them.
Kondu, Gadaba and Porja are the PVTGs living in Visakhapatnam district’s Agency area but not many of them have the Antyodaya ration cards. They only have the ordinary ration cards on which one person is supplied four kg of rice a month through public distribution system subject to the maximum of 20 kg. for a family while on an Antyodaya card the Girijan family is entitled to get 35 kg. even if it consists of husband and wife. “In spite of several representations and agitations we have not been issued the Antyodaya cards,” said Pangi Rajababu of Annavaram village in Chintapalli mandal. He was among the PVTGs from Chintapalli, Koyyuru and G.K. Veedhi mandals who staged a demonstration in front of the Gandhiji statue near GVMC main office here on Monday seeking implementation of Supreme Court interim order.
The programme was organised by the AP Vyayasaya Vrittidarula Union which conducted a survey and awareness campaign with the help of educated Girijan youths in five Agency mandals – Paderu, G. Madugula, Chintapalli, Koyyuru and G.K. Veedhi – during May covering 214 habitations under 48 Panchayats.
The survey revealed that 1,393 families sought conversion of ordinary ration cards into Antyodaya cards and 1,072 sought new Antyodaya cards, the union’s general secretary P.S. Ajay Kumar said. The applications were submitted to the district officials. Though the Supreme Court order was issued on May 2, 2003 (in response to a civil writ petition filed in 2000), the PVTGs (earlier known as primitive tribal groups - PTGs) were issued general ration cards since 2006, mostly through the Rachabanda programmes.
Advisor to the Commissioners appointed following the Supreme Court judgment, P. Madhavi who extended her support to the PVTGs, said the Supreme Court wondered why the foodgrain stock should remain in the godowns while people die due to hunger. She urged the PVTGs to look at better functioning of Anganwadis and mid-day meal scheme.
The APVVU submitted a memorandum to the Collector with its demand.
