400 B’DESHIS DROPPED FROM NFSA LIST IN KENDRAPADA

Bhubaneswar,22/4-Hundreds of Bangladeshi immigrants, who sneaked into the coastal Mahakalpada block via sea route and settled at the far flung coastal pockets, allegedly applied for NFSA ration card and some of them managed to get the card too.

But recently when the allegation poured in before the BDO of Mahakalapada and marketing inspector of Mahakalapada block, a team was formed which conducted a verification .The inquiry team managed to cancel about 400 Bangladeshi immigrants’ names in last three months, informed Civil Supply Officer (CSO) Ramnath Sahu.

According to marketing inspector Prahallad Swain of Mahakalapada block , the officials allegedly deleted the names of several Bangladeshi immigrants ,who settled at the coastal Panchayats of Ramnagar, Kharanashi, Batighar, Jamboo, Suniti and Gogua. Several Bangladeshi immigrants’ ration cards were cancelled before issuing them. Even several Bangaldeshi immigrants, who have been applicants, are not going to get the card, he assured.

According to official sources, by getting the political patronage, several illegal Bangaldeshi settlers managed to obtain Voter Identity card and became the legitimate settlers. Later, they availed several Government benefits meant for the Indian citizens. Had the locals and local PRI members not co-operated the Bangladeshi immigrants for obtaining the Voter Identity card, they would not have enjoyed all the Government benefits, locals alleged.

Meanwhile, the district Collector has directed all the BDOs to take steps to find out the excess enrollment and weeding out the ineligible beneficiaries from the FPL (Final Prepared List) as the FSCW Department has categorically issued instruction not to exceed the district target allocated under NFSA.

Even, the Chief Secretary has issued an instruction recently for immediate cancellation of undistributed ration cards with due procedure and bringing back of the cancelled ration cards to block /ULB office. The disposal of grievance petition should be geared up and April 30 has been the deadline for disposal of grievance petition to accommodate the left-out eligible beneficiaries.

In case there is necessity to enrol genuine beneficiaries, it should be ensured that ineligible beneficiaries should be detected from the FPL and excluded first to accommodate further enrolment. The district Collector has directed all the BDOs to take immediate steps in this regard within a week to keep the target intact ,failing which the concerned BDOs will be held responsible for any dislocation, informed CSO Sahu.

According to official sources, in Pattamundai block, the district administration has fixed a target to provide NFSA ration card to 1, 26,568 beneficiaries, but till April 16, the beneficiaries enrolled as per FPL is 1, 28,882. As a result, an excess of 2,314 beneficiaries were enrolled from the target in Pattamundai block.

Similarly, in Mahakalapada block, while the targeted beneficiaries are 1, 65,852, 16,547 have been found in excess. In Rajkanika block, the administration has fixed a target of 1, 08,190 beneficiaries for providing NFSA ration card, 3,989 beneficiaries exceed the target. In Rajnagar block, as many as 1, 31,897 beneficiaries have been targeted and 551 excess are found. Similarly, in Pattamundai Municipality, while the target was 19,353, 2,833 extra have been found listed.

“We have to delete several ineligible beneficiaries name from the list and add the eligible beneficiaries. The district administration would recover the food grains that the ineligible beneficiaries took from the retailer after withdrawing the ration cards,” stated CSO Sahu.