The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Plea against making ration cards issue a `poll ploy'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Plea against making ration cards issue a `poll ploy'

Staff Reporter

Guidelines fixed by Government draw flak

HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh Vyavasaya Karmika Sangham has demanded ration cards for all needy and poor people without making the exercise of their distribution an "election gimmick".

Income limit

K. Krishnamurthy, president, and B. Venkat, general secretary, in a statement issued here on Monday said the income limit of Rs.20,000 in rural and Rs.24,000 in urban areas would amount to denying the cards to maximum number of persons.

They recalled the demand of Rs.36,000 as the income limit when the Congress was in the Opposition.

The leaders criticised the guidelines fixed by the Government without convening an all-party meeting saying they would do more harm than gain to the people.

The guidelines include landholding and possession of two and three-wheelers.

They wanted the administration to take back the old card only after issuing fresh ones to the needy.

They also criticised the Government for imposing burden on the family of a poor card-seeker who would not only have to travel to the issuing centre along with other members, but also spend Rs.45 for securing photographs, as stipulated in the GO 57.

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