The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Issue of ration cards coming to a close

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Sunday, Oct 08, 2006
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Issue of ration cards coming to a close

N. Rahul

Ration can be drawn only with new photo ID cards from November

HYDERABAD: As the massive year-long exercise of issuing ration cards draws to a close this month end, the State Government is determined to ensure that rations can be drawn only with new photo ID cards from November onwards.

Civil Supplies Commissioner Bhanwarlal has asked households that did not have new cards to get them latest by October 31 or wait till their next chance which might take sometime. He said new cards with bar-coded coupons as part of enhanced security proof measures, particularly for lifting kerosene, would be made compulsory from next month.

The Government has issued a record two crore cards with Iris technology since the Rs. 150-crore exercise began in June last year. There were only 50.62 lakh cards to both below and above poverty line families in the State prior to the issue.

Narrating his experience in the issue of cards, Mr. Bhanwarlal said it was found that the white cardholders of the State capital continued to misuse their kerosene quota by selling the coupons at their fair price shops. Their quota got diverted to black market. The cardholders sold away the coupons as they had cooking gas connections. Nevertheless, the bar-coded coupons helped in checking the menace of fake printed coupons.

The Commissioner said an estimated six lakh white cardholders misused the facility and watered down the subsidy component on kerosene.

White cards were issued with 36 kerosene coupons for as many months. Cardholders can draw quota as per the scale fixed for rural areas, and municipal corporations. They were entitled to ten litres per coupon in Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad limits.

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