The ghost of ration card row under National Food Security Act seems to have returned again to haunt the ruling BJD in Cuttack city.
While former mayor Anita Behera of the party was forced to resign after it was established that she had surreptitiously managed to obtain a ration card in her favour, it is now alleged that the BJD candidate Tulasi Behera for next month’s civic body by-election too has illegally obtained two ration cards for her family members.
Highlighting the issue, the BJP on Tuesday submitted a memorandum to the civic body election returning officer Laxmidhar Mohanty urging him to reject the nomination paper of the BJD candidate.
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The BJP quoting the affidavit of Ms. Behera, in which she has mentioned that she and her spouse have moveable and immovable properties worth over Rs. 40 lakhs, including a luxurious four-wheeler, has alleged that the family is ‘visibly rich’ and come under ‘exclusion criteria’ for the ration card to get subsidised food grains.
The BJP memorandum has also urged the returning officer, who is also the Cuttack additional district magistrate (ADM), to initiate criminal proceedings against Ms. Behera and the staff, for whose negligent act Ms. Behera’s family members have got the ration cards. BJP claims that the ration cards have been issued in the names of Ms. Behera’s mother-in-law and brother-in-law.
Led by former minister Samir Dey, the BJP leaders of the city submitted the memorandum to the ADM and threatened that if no action is taken on the issue within seven days, the party would be forced to resort to agitation.
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On the other hand, the ADM informed that the nomination papers of Ms. Behera have been scrutinised by the election office and the same has been found in order. He however, did not elaborate on the issue of ration cards issued to the family.
Party candidate Tulasi Behera for civic body by-poll reportedly illegally obtained two ration cards