CMC vows action against tax collectors who had conducted surveys to choose beneficiaries for the state govt’s food security scheme
Cuttack: The state government has brought its own scheme to provide food security to the needy people. However, massive irregularities have been alleged in the newly-introduced State Food Security Scheme (SFSS) in the Silver City here.
It has been alleged that ration cards under the SFSS were issued in the names of many ineligible people including some government officials, pension holders and traders.
According to Ward No 7 corporator Ranjita Biswal, a ration card (No 0811) has been issued in the name of Gyanaranjan Dash of Dhoba Sahi even though he works as a police constable. Similarly, a ration card (No 0733) has been issued in the name of Chakradhar Sethi, a retired tehsil office employee of Dhoba Sahi, who gets Rs 15,000 pension from the government.
Moreover, trader Sudarshan Sethi of Dhoba Sahi (Card No 0675) has been included under the State Food Security Scheme. Sethi owns a three-storey building and a big commercial entity in the city
“Many ineligible people have been included in the State Food Security Scheme. Some dishonest officials are involved in ration card irregularities. The authorities concerned should probe the irregularities,” Biswal said.
Another corporator Rita Biswal claimed that officials of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) had conducted a survey to select beneficiaries for the food security scheme. “The tax collectors engaged to conduct the survey did not discuss the issue with local corporators. Names of some ineligible people have been included in the scheme while a few needy people have failed to get ration cards,” she alleged.
CMC slum improvement officer Shyamsundar Sethi said the civic body would probe the allegations and scrap the ration cards issued in the name of all ineligible people. “The civic body had engaged tax collectors to conduct survey to select eligible people for the SFSS. It was assumed that tax collectors would find it easy to know applicants’ income sources and the financial conditions. However, irregularities have been alleged in the selection process,” he said.
CMC commissioner Sarat Chandra Nayak said they would take stern action against officials if their involvement in the ration card irregularities is substantiated.