Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies Dinesh Gundu Rao has said that the role of officers and the staff of the department is important in identifying and containing bogus ration cards so that benefits reached genuine beneficiaries. He set a deadline of three months for the officers to streamline and strengthen the public distribution system to reach foodgrains to the needy.
Mr. Dinesh Gundu Rao was speaking at a meeting of officers of his department and other senior officials on the zilla panchayat premises here on Wednesday.
The Minister directed the officials to take up a physical stock verification to stop leakage of foodgrains and other material meant for distribution among the poor.
He expressed dissatisfaction over the figures that showed more ration cards had been distributed in Kolar district than the number of families.
“ Prima facie it shows that there are bogus cards in the district,” he remarked and asked the authorities concerned to take verify and abolish bogus cards.
“While bogus cards had to be removed, eligible families should not be divested of the facility,” he said.
He appealed to the officers of all departments to join hands in making the flagship programme of the government — rice at Re. 1 per kg for below poverty line families — a success.
Commissioner of the department Harsha Gupta stressed the cooperation of the district administration in removing bogus ration cards.
MLAs K.M. Narayanaswamy, G. Manjunath, K.S. Manjunath, zilla panchayat president Chowdeshwari and vice-president Rathnamma participated.
Zilla panchayat Chief Executive Officer S.M. Zulfikar Ullah, Food and Civil Supplies Department Deputy Director Channabasappa Kodli were present.
