Furore over delay in ration card distribution

Udupi, DHNS: The delay in the distribution of ration cards witnessed an almost endless debate among the members at the annual body meeting in zilla panchayat on Tuesday.

ZP member Janardhan Thonse raised the issue at the ZP meet held in ZP building.

He said long queues for ration cards are being witnessed for many months. When the officer attributed the delay to an error in server, Thonse pointed out that the delay in ration cards had deprived the poor people of food.

“Beneficiaries who are not able to get two square meals a day are suffering,” he added.

He said poor people who are expecting to get their ration cards (mainly BPL cards) reach the tahsildar’s office only to be told that there is a server problem.

The officer said that the district was permitted to use server only for four hours and the changes as corrections in the ration cards takes most of the time.

Poor server connectivity had affected e-KYC and Aadhaar linkage to the ration card holders in rural areas.

MLA Raghupathy Bhat said 14 applications were awaiting clearance to operate the 14 stone quarry units. But only three were cleared by the forest department. Forest department officials are denying permission as the quarries are in deemed forest areas.

“It is a meaningless argument. There are no forests in the vicinity,” he said. The MLA expressed displeasure over the absence of Kundapur Division, deputy conservator of forest Kamala K at the meeting.

He said the government officers should be there to serve public and not to create obstacles in the development works.The members in the house unanimously passed a resolution seeking action against the official.

Member Rohit Kumar Shetty said due to stringent forest rules, even basic infrastructural facilities were not implemented in the areas of Ulluru, Siddhapur and Hardalli.

Members also objected to the irregularities in the disbursement of old age and widow pensions. The incomplete national highway and the nightmarish stretch were other issues raised. The officer assured that the problems on the stretch will be sorted out.