The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Union assails verification method of ration cards

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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Union assails verification method of ration cards

Staff Reporter

Door-to-door visits necessary to eradicate bogus cards

Union suggests composition of verifying team
Opposes action against salesmen

VIRUDHUNAGAR: The State government cannot eradicate “bogus” ration cards with the present method of verification, according to A. Chellam, State president of Tamil Nadu Public Distribution Workers’ Union.

“Teams of officials are supposed to make door-to-door visits to verify each and every card with the family members. Instead, they simply sit in a common place and ask the cardholders to present the cards to them. In this situation, how can they verify whether the cardholders are staying in the same address mentioned in the card,” Mr. Chellam posed while talking to The Hindu here on Wednesday.

In such a situation, people with “bogus” cards would manage to get signatures from the verifying officials. Besides, many genuine cardholders were not able to get the signatures from them as the teams did not give information on their visits in advance. “The team gives ‘stop supply’ order to the cardholders for not turning up. Such cardholders pick up quarrel with the salesmen in the shop,” he said.

Mr. Chellam suggested that the verifying team comprise officials from the Revenue and Cooperation departments, salesmen of ration shops, village ‘thalaiyaris’ and representatives from voluntary organisations.

The union opposed the officials taking action against salesmen for “promoting bogus cards.” “Our job is only to supply essential commodities and we have no authority to verify the cards. While there is a well-established process to issue cards, how can a salesman find fault with his higher ups for a wrongly issued card,” Mr. Chellam said.

Asking the government to give up action against salesmen, he, instead, wanted stringent action against those who issued the cards without proper verification.

The union members observed fast on the Collectorate premises here demanding pension and ‘promotion’ for salesmen with adequate experience and educational qualification to fill up vacancies in other government departments.

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