Karnataka's Food and Civil Supplies Department has decided to issue ration cards for all pending applications by this month-end.
Nearly 35 lakh such applications are pending. So far, the Department has issued 95 lakh below poverty line and 30 lakh above poverty line cards.
The department has received 3.95 lakh applications in Bangalore city and Bangalore urban district and only six per cent of applications have been cleared.
Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies Dinesh Gundu Rao today chaired a meeting of Bangalore City MLAs and discussed several issues vis-a-vis distribution of food items and issuing of ration cards to eligible families.
Transport Minister B Ramalinga Reddy and Minister of State for Agriculture Krishna Byre Gowda attended the meeting.
Gundu Rao told reporters that officers drawn from Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Revenue and Food and Civil Supplies Department have been appointed as Fair price shop Level Officers (FLOs) for every one or two ration shops to identify eligible applications for BPL cards.
Before issuing BPL cards, FLOs would find out eligibility of applicants, he said.
Following scores of complaints from aggrieved applicants, it has been decided to scrap the system of 'introducer' for applying for ration cards. Applicants have to bring their electoral photo identity cards while submitting online applications, he said.
Meanwhile, officials said an intensive verification of ration cards began yesterday in the informal rationing area of Bangalore, which would soon be extended to the other cities, districts and taluks in the State.
Commissioner for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Harsh Gupta said the department has taken this initiative in view of the large number of complaints received from the public on the alleged bogus ration cards and misuse of ration by the Fair Price Shops.
The department, which has 42 Food Inspectors in Bangalore informal rationing area, has formed two teams comprising 21 Inspectors each for this verification campaign.
There are 20,000 Fair Price Shops - each shop has some 600 odd card holders - all over the State.
Due to staff shortage,the department plans to verify one Fair Price Shop in one zone out of the five zones in Bangalore informal rationing Area and 30 districts every week to filter and cancel bogus ration cards, to take action against Fair Price Shop owners misusing the ration, and initiate action against the erring officials responsible for the issue of bogus ration cards, officials said.
