Delhi government organising ration camps at 70 locations in National Capital

In what may be called one last attempt to reach out to residents over the ration scheme, the department of food and supplies of Delhi government is organising camps across 70 locations in the national Capital for the 2.56 lakh ration card holders to verify themselves after the department could not find their names in the records. The camps will help the people of Delhi to avail subsidised ration services.

The department had earlier cancelled the ration cards of 2.93 lakh people who did not turn up for taking ration consecutively for January, February and March. The delivery of ration services has been a bone of contention between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and the Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal. 

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had claimed that the important measure was rejected by Baijal over “petty politics”.

“This is our last way to reach out to the residents who have not responded to our repeated reminders. We do not want any of the residents to complain later. These camps will be organised twice in a week,” said a senior official from the department.

The food and supplies department has issued a series of notices in May to the 2.93 lakh ration card holders to visit the department and get themselves verified. A notice was again sent in July this year requesting the cardholders to get themselves verified as their names will be deleted from the records. 

“After these camps, we can issue fresh ration cards to those who still are unable to avail the basic facility,” added the official.

Recently, the Delhi government had called the department’s move to cancel the cards as “inhuman” and termed it as a “conspiracy to deny ration to the poor people and a clear, deliberate and intentional violation at the behest of the Central government”. 

‘BJP TO FACE HEAT FOR CANCELLING SCHEME’

• Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said the BJP will face the heat from the poor for “deliberately cancelling ration cards in Delhi” and warned of strict action against officers who followed the Centre’s orders.
   
• Kejriwal’s reaction came after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Gulab Singh tweeted a video which showed a woman from Matiala constituency pleading with L-G  Anil Baijal urging him to provide her a ration card - which was cancelled - so that she could feed her two children.
   
• Sharing the tweet, Kejriwal said: “The BJP will face the heat from the poor for pressurizing the officers to deliberately cancel ration cards. Strict action should be taken against the officers who illegally followed BJP’s orders.”