DISCUSSION: B. Nagaraj Shetty, Minister for Fisheries and Endowment (third from left) at the quarterly review meeting of Karnataka Development Programme in Mangalore on Tuesday.

MANGALORE: The delay on part of Department of Food and Civil Supplies in issuing computerised temporary ration cards to the beneficiaries upset B. Nagaraj Shetty, district in-charge Minister at the quarterly Karnataka Development Programme review meeting here on Tuesday.

Mr. Shetty directed Rathnakar Naik, deputy director of the department to complete the process by August 15.

Mr. Shetty said although the process of distribution of cards should have been completed by July 31, the Government has agreed to extend the same in view of delays in this regard.

He also directed Mr. Naik to take note of the spate of complaints about discrepancies in the data printed on the ration cards and take steps to correct it.

Admitting that there have been mistakes in the cards printed, Mr. Naik said steps had been taken to make corrections before reissuing them to the beneficiaries.

Noting that few families may have been left out during the initial door-to-door survey that had been coducted, he said such families could apply again.

Fair price shops

The Minister also directed Mr. Naik to ensure that there are enough fair price shops cater to all cardholders.

He directed Mr. Naik to ensure that quality of grains and other items disbursed through the fair price shops was maintained at all times.

Mr. Shetty instructed the Department of Mines and Geology to crack down on illegal mining in revenue land in many parts of the district.

Prabhakar Bangera, MLA, Belthangady, and Kottari, MLA said such illegal activities had severely undermined the authority of local gram panchayats as well as the department.

Mr. Kottari said the department officials themselves were involved with such elements.

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