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Probe sought into distribution of red ration cards in Yanam

PUDUCHERRY: Secretary of the Puducherry unit of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam A. Anbalagan on Sunday urged Chief Minister N. Rangasamy to inquire into the “mismatch between the high rate of per capita income in Yanam and the large number of red ration cards distributed in the region.”

More than 50 per cent of the ration cards distributed in Yanam were red colour ones which suggested that there was a high population of people living below the poverty line, he told reporters here. The percentage was contrary to the government stand that the region had high per capita income and high literacy rate, he said.

Mr. Anbalagan said even Karaikal, which was considered to be a backward region, had only around 52 per cent red ration cardholders. As per the data provided by the Civil Supplies Department, out of the 10021 rations cards, 5033 were red ration cards and 2350 were distributed under Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) category, whereas in Karaikal out of the 52793 ration cards, 15916 were red ration cards and 11800 were distributed under the AAY, he added.

He urged the Chief Minister to clarify the “contradiction” in the government stand on the development in Yanam and the large number of people in the BPL category.

Mr. Anbalagan flayed the Chief Minister and Social Welfare Minister M. Kandasamy for “creating confusion among the public” with regard to distribution of free clothes during Pongal.

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