1,300 ghost PDS cards issued in Odisha's Rourkela

ROURKELA: A probe into allegations of irregularities in public distribution system (PDS) has revealed that 1,330 ghost ration cards were issued in Steel City for disbursal of Covid-19 relief through Government retailers. 

The  report for the rest of Sundargarh district is awaited. The district administration, on September 4, had ordered inquiry by a five-member fact finding team after it came to light that 67,971 card holders of Rourkela had received food grains as Covid-19 relief through Government retailers. But 1,932 PDS card holders, eligible to get cash relief of `1,000 each could not be traced.

Another inquiry into the matter was ordered on September 9 after it came to light that holders of 5,095 PDS cards had not received cash relief in Rajgangpur, Sundargarh and Birmitrapur municipality areas and 17 blocks of the district. 

Rourkela additional civil supplies officer (ACSO) Milan Majhi said during inquiry, 602 card holders were traced in the city while the remaining 1,330 are yet to be found. He said notices have been pasted at 164 Government retail centres of Rourkela asking the 1,330 card holders to appear with their Aadhar cards for verification by October 14.

If the suspected card holders fail to appear by the stipulated day, their cards would be cancelled and action initiated for recovery of rations given to them. 

Sundargarh civil supplies officer BC Mangraj said stern action would be taken if allegations of distribution of ghost PDS cards turns out to be genuine.

Former secretary of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Rashmi Ranjan Padhi said since November 2016 through ghost cards, massive quantities of ration were embezzled by Government retailers in connivance with civil supplies authorities.He demanded a fresh survey with fixation of accountability of authorities to create an authentic list of PDS beneficiaries.