Centre considering cancellation of Ration Card Supplies for Tax Payers

Indian Military Veterans

Ram Vilas Paswan, the Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Distribution, has said that the Centre is giving serious thoughts about canceling the distribution of ration supplies to tax-paying members of the public.

While talking to newspersons, he said that the Government’s intention is to bring everybody under the Food Safety Act. The difficult task of identifying the real beneficiaries of this scheme and to provide food grains to them, has started. Instead of identifying the poor people who desperately need this scheme, it is easier to remove the ones who don’t need the benefits of it.

The Government is considering cancellation of supply of food grains through the ration cards to those who are paying taxes. Supplies have already been cancelled to Class 1 and 2 Government officials in Madhya Pradesh., who pay taxes. We have requested other state governments to follow this.

Distribution works carried out by the PDS is very unsatisfactory. Food grains are not being provided to the poor and the needy. There are countless complaints against the Public Distribution System. The Minister has promised to conduct enquiries into them.