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Operation of special counters suspended

Special Correspondent

Relevant forms to be distributed to aggrieved ration card holders Relevant forms to be distributed to aggrieved ration card holders

PONDICHERRY: The Department of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs has suspended operation of special counters sought to be opened in nine centres in and around Pondicherry from Monday to address the grievances of rationcard holders and also for replacing yellow colour cards with red ones.

There were complaints that families of poor economic status were distributed `yellow cards' instead of `red colour cards'.

Huge turnout

In this backdrop, the department planned to operate nine information centres. But the turnout of people was so large that there was a near melee situation in all these centres.

The working of information centres was consequently suspended with immediate effect.

The department had now decided to introduce a new procedure to relieve card holders of their hardships.

The Local Administration and Civil Supplies Minister, A. Elumalai, told newsmen (as soon as the practical difficulty to operate the information centres was noticed) that the department would distribute relevant forms to the aggrieved card holders through their respective ration shops or the MLAs of their constituencies from August 25.

The forms would be available till September 5.

The filled in forms with particulars of living status of the families to claim red colour cards after surrendering yellow cards and also to get fresh cards (by those who had not received the cards so far) can be submitted at the ration shops from September 6 to 23.

The forms obtained from MLAs could be presented either to the MLAs or at the Directorate of Civil Supplies before the last date.

After verification the relevant cards would be issued to families.

Picketing

The card holders, along with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam legislators R Siva, Annbial Kennedy and S P Sivakumar and the Congress block committee president in Bussy locality N. Anandhu staged a picketing at Kamban Kalai Arangam in support of the card holders.

The Director of Civil Supplies, K Elumalai, who was also present at the press briefing by the Minister said the department had distributed red colour cards to as many as 1.20 lakh poor families at the end of fresh enumeration on the basis of Central guidelines, while yellow colour cards were distributed to 1.70 lakh families.

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