CPI (M) district committee organised a dharna in front of the Collectorate here on Monday demanding the Government to restore the white ration cards that have been cancelled during a “bogus” survey.
A large number of CPI (M) workers and supporters participated in the dharna. City secretary K. Lokanadham said as many as 1.22 lakh white ration cards were cancelled by the Congress Government and 7,000 more were removed because they were not in the key list.
Several thousands were denied kerosene supply through PDS though they had no LPG connection. All this caused a great hardship to more than a lakh poor people in the district, he said. With the cancellation of white ration cards, the Arogyasri cards and pensions were also cancelled. He demanded restoration of white ration cards to all.
Congress blamed
CPI (M) district secretariat member B. Ganga Rao criticised the Congress for ditching the poor by denying them many benefits like white ration cards, after winning the elections.
It also failed to keep many of the promises made to the poor and diluted the many welfare schemes. Later a team of CPI(M) leaders presented a memorandum to the Collector. Party leaders M. Jaggu Naidu, R.K.S.V. Kumar, R. Bhagya Lakshmi, R. Lakshmana Murthy, Corporator B. Eswaramma and others participated.
