Karnataka government is not following guidelines laid down under the ‘Antyodaya Anna Yojana’ issued by the Union ministry of food and public distribution.
The high court on Tuesday pulled up the commissioner for food and civil supplies and consumer affairs, while hearing a petition contending that the state government is not following guidelines laid down under the ‘Antyodaya Anna Yojana’ issued by the Union ministry of food and public distribution.
The court directed the commissioner to file an affidavit in two weeks stating how many above-poverty line category people have been issued below-poverty line cards, which were withdrawn.
The petitioner sought a direction from the high court to the state government, calling for a tentative list of beneficiaries under the below-poverty line (BPL) card scheme.
The petitioner said that under the norms, once the BPL list is finalised, a call for objections from the public ought to be made before the cards are allotted. The state government has been ignoring this procedure.
The division bench, comprising chief justice JS Khehar and justice Ashok Hinchigeri, pulled up the commissioner for the food and civil supplies and consumer affairs, KH Govindraj, who was present in court.
The state government, in a rejoinder submitted in court, had admitted in 2006 that there were discrepancies in the BPL list.
However, no inquiry was conducted to rectify those errors.
The bench observed that several lakh ration cards were suspended on July 21, 2011.
Even though five years had elapsed since the admission of a problem, nothing had been done to rectify the lists. “Despite our order, you have not cancelled a single card. Should we issue contempt notice?” the bench asked.
The bench observed, “The problem with the government is that it comes to the court and takes us for a ride.”
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