The ghost of ration card row under National Food Security Act seems to have returned to haunt the BJD in Cuttack with the BJP today alleging that the ruling party's candidate for next month's civic body polls has illegally obtained ration card.
While former mayor Anita Behera of the party was forced to resign after it was established that she had surreptitiously managed to obtain a ration card in her favour, BJP claimed that Tulasi Behera, the BJD candidate for next month's civic body by-election, too has illegally obtained two ration cards for her family members.
Highlighting the issue, BJP today submitted a memorandum to the civic body election returning officer Laxmidhar Mohanty urging him to reject the nomination paper of the BJD candidate.
The BJP quoting Behera's affidavit, in which she has mentioned that she and her spouse have movable and immovable properties worth over Rs 40 lakh, including a luxurious four-wheeler, has alleged that the family is 'visibly rich' and come under 'exclusion criteria' for the ration card to get subsidised food grains.
The BJP memorandum has also urged the returning officer, who is also the Cuttack additional district magistrate (ADM), to initiate criminal proceedings against Behera and the government officials for whose 'negligent' act her family members have got the ration cards.
BJP claims that the ration cards have been issued in the names of Behera's mother-in-law and brother-in-law.
BJP threatened that if no action is taken on the issue within seven days, the party would be forced to resort to agitation.
The ADM said the nomination papers of Behera have been scrutinised by the election office and the same has been found in order. He, however, did not elaborate on the issue of ration cards issued to the family.
