More than 3.3 lakh ration cards cancelled, over Rs 11.91 cr fine collected in Karnataka

Bengaluru: More than 3.30 lakh ration cards have been cancelled in the state and the Food and Civil Supplies Department has collected a fine of over Rs 11.91 crores. Even financially strong people are illegally getting BPL cards meant for the poor and cheating the government. Thus, 30,30,024 ration cards have been cancelled from January 30, 2021 to June 30, 2022. This includes 21,679 Antyodaya and 3,08,345 BPL cards. Some cards have also been converted to APL. A notice to return the unauthorised cards has also been issued. The department officials said that a criminal case will be registered against the card holders who do not return it.

Although they are ineligible to get ration card, they gave wrong information to the department and got the card and misused other ingredients including rice, wheat, millet, sugar and palm oil. In addition, BPL ration holders are getting free health care and other facilities in hospitals. Hence, the department has decided to take disciplinary action against such cardholders.

Two years ago, the department ordered the voluntary return of BPL ration cards by those who had violated the norms set by the government. A statutory cause notice is issued before the Karnataka Essential Commodities Public Distribution System (Regulation) Order. If a written response is not given within 7 days of receiving the notice, the department will take disciplinary action. The department mentioned in the order that if the card is not returned, the government will find out and calculate how much food items have been received from the day of getting the ration till now and file a criminal case along with a recovery of Rs 35 per kg.

Government employees, staff working in government owned bodies, boards, corporations and autonomous bodies, Households paying income, service and VAT tax, households having more than three hectares of dryland or irrigated land in rural areas,households owning an area of more than 1000 square feet in urban areas households with an annual income of more than Rs 1.20 lakh are ineligible.

Apart from families having their own commercial vehicle i.e. tractor, maxicab, taxi for livelihood, families with four wheeler vehicles of other types are defined as financially strong.