Financially stable families told to surrender priority ration cards

Deputy Commissioner M R Ravi said that those who are financially stable are ineligible for priority ration cards — Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) — should surrender them.

In a press note issued here, on Wednesday, the DC said, “Action would be initiated against those illegally possessing priority ration cards, under the provisions of Essential Commodities Act, 1955; National Food Security Act, 2013; Karnataka Essential Commodities Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2016; and relevant sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The families whose members are permanent employees of government and government-aided departments and agencies; whose members are Income Tax assesses; whose members pay Service Tax, Value Added Tax or Goods and Services Tax; are ineligible to posses priority ration cards, he said.

In rural places, families in possession of three hectares of dry lands or equivalent irrigated lands are ineligible for the priority ration cards. In urban areas, families possessing a proper house on a land measuring more than 1,000 square feet are ineligible. Families possessing four-wheelers and above, except for those who operate only one vehicle — such as tractor, maxicabs or taxi — for a livelihood, are ineligible. If the annual income of a family is above Rs 1.2 lakh, it is ineligible for the priority ration cards.

The DC said that as per the 2011 Census, there are 2,44,874 families in Chamarajanagar district. “Up to March 2021, a total of 2,91,740 priority ration cards, including 35,770 Antyodaya Anna Yojana cards have been issued. Besides, 4,355 non-priority or Above Poverty Line (APL) cards have been issued. Several appeals have been made to ineligible families, to surrender priority ration cards. Some of them have surrendered the BPL and AAY ration cards and have availed APL ration cards, states the press note.

Ineligible ration card holders can surrender their cards to their respective tahsildar and get APL ration cards. Otherwise, action will be initiated against such families and the cost of the ration items provided to them, over the years, will be recovered, says the press note from the DC.