50,000 ration cards await nod

Statesman News Service

MALDA, June 11: Nearly 50,000 ration card applications are awaiting the green signal from the authorities concerned here since January.While 50 per cent of the applications are allegedly lying with the district authorities of the food and supplies department, the rest are with the sub-divisional controller of food and supplies department. Unable to cope up with the pressure from ration card applicants, employees of the association of food and supplies department recently submitted a deputation to the district food controller.The delay in the issuance of ration cards is causing problems to new applicants from the seven blocks adjoining the Indo-Bangla border, who do not possess individual ration cards. In areas within 15 km of the border, the district magistrate is the sole authority for issuing new ration cards.It is only after receiving final approval from the DM’s offi ce that the sub-divisional food controller can issue new ration cards.The system of screening applications for ration cards is also different in the border areas of the district. Before 1999, many Bangladeshis had succeeded in acquiring ration cards for themselves in these border areas.The separate process of screening ration cards in the Indo-Bangla border regions was adopted to curb the malpractice.