Dispose application for new ration cards by Sep 30: Odisha Food Commission

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha State Food Commission has shot letters to Collectors of all districts directing them to dispose applications for new Ration Cards under the National Food Security Act, 2013.

As per reports, the Commission mentioned that the fresh applications received from time to time are not being accounted for promptly in the Ration Card Management System (RCMS). Though the RCMS is functioning under the direct supervision of BDO/EOs, the Marketing Inspectors (MIs) are actually running the show. Therefore, the BDOs/ EOs be impressed upon to ensure effective functioning of the RCMS.

In the letter, the Commission stated that the number of applications pending at the end of the quarter has come down marginally from 64,108 to 63,747. “Though 64,108 applications were pending for disposal at the end of the last quarter, only 51,785 applications have been disposed of during this quarter. During the previous quarter only 48,917 fresh applications were received. However, during this quarter the receipt of fresh applications has gone up to 54,656 including 11,025 in Puri District,” the letter stated.

The Food Commission had earlier requested the Collectors to report the position of any development, but despite several reminders, as many as seven districts did not obey the orders, the letter mentioned.

The Commission has also directed to collect fresh applications from the left out poor households and complete the exercise latest by September 30, 2018.

“We don’t have ration cards in proportion with the population in our State which is why the District Collectors are facing problems in supplying them with one. Whenever a beneficiary submitted an application, the block level officers forwarded them to the district collectors and the cards in stock were adjusted. Therefore, the Commission is now making provisions to supply new ration cards to the left out beneficiaries," said Odisha Food Supplies Minister, Surya Patro.