EXPRESSING ANGER: Ration cardholders laying siege to the office of the Assistant Director of Department of Food and Civil Supplies in Hubli on Friday.

HUBLI: Several ration card holders, including women, under the aegis of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and Communist Party of India (CPI) laid siege to the office of the Assistant Director of the Department of Food and Civil Supplies here on Friday, protesting against the discrepancies in the issue of temporary ration cards.

The protestors alleged that there were many mistakes in the temporary ration cards issued to them and also lacunae in the identification and distribution of the ration cards.

They alleged that the staff of the Department were discriminating against some people while issuing the ration cards.

Rationale questioned

Addressing the protestors, AITUC secretary Devanand Jagapur, CPI assistant secretaries David Goni and Imtiyaz Jamadar questioned the rationale behind issuing temporary ration cards with a validity of two months. It is nothing but waste of the time and money of the general public, they said.

They pointed out that owing to lack of the proper address of the ration cardholder in the card, the distribution was being delayed.

Address

They urged the State Government to take steps to mention the address of the ration cardholder in the cards, extending the validity of the cards from September 2006 to February 2007 and distribution of cards at the doorstep of the cardholder.

They urged that the quantity of the foodgrains distributed to various categories of cardholders, including the Akshaya, Antyodaya beneficiaries, be mentioned on the cards.

The protestors withdrew their agitation only after senior officials of the Department visited the spot and assured them of appropriate action to correct the anomalies.

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