Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada   

Distribution of pending white cards begins

VIJAYAWADA: Minister for Civil Supplies Jupally Krishna Rao on Thursday began distribution of white ration cards that were ready before the last general elections but could not be distributed due to the election code.

After handing over a few cards at a Praja Patham programme at Rajiv Nagar here, the Minister said four lakh ration cards were ready but could not be distributed because the election code came into force in April 2009. The distribution of these cards was kept pending for the completion of door-to-door survey conducted to identify bogus and duplicate cards.

The Minister said that the outcome of the survey to identify bogus cards was being grossly exaggerated. Out of 2.5 crore white cards in the State, only 19 lakh cards were found to be either bogus or duplicate. Along with the 4 lakh cards that were pending, the government had already taken a decision to give new cards to all the 7.40 lakh eligible families that have applied for new cards. He said rations would be issued to all the four lakh new card holders from June 1.

New cards

Taking into consideration the number of new cards to be issued, the total number of cards weeded out would be just 3 per cent but an exaggerated figure was doing the rounds, the Minister said.

The Minister, at a press conference later, rejected Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu's criticism that the State government was not concerned about the plight of paddy farmers.

Mr. Krishna Rao said that the State government had prevailed on the Central government to order the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to procure ‘Nellore Sannalu' variety by reducing the price. While the FCI norms do not permit ‘brokens' (damaged grain) of more than 3 per cent, the Central government had given orders to the FCI to procure paddy with ‘brokens' percentage of up to 4 per cent for Rs. 970 a quintal with ‘value cut'. While only Rs. 530 was paid to a quintal of paddy during the TDP rule, the FCI was paying Rs. 1,030 now, the Minister claimed.

Special permits would also be given for the export of Nellore Sannalu to help farmers get a better price, the Minister said.

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