Deadline to submit bogus ration cards: September 30

The Supreme Courts recent directive can enable the police to prosecute bogus ration card holders .

The Supreme Courts recent directive can enable the police to prosecute bogus ration card holders if they do not submit their cards to the respective tehsil office by September 30.

The directive issued by Supreme Court states that those who are in possession of bogus ration cards should submit their cards or else face prosection under the Indian Penal Code. The directive was issued in a recent judgement on August 31 on the writ petition filed by Peoples Union for Civil Liberties.

We have conducted several drives in the district in both rural and city areas and now these directives will enable us to register cases against those in possession of multiple cards or bogus cards, said district supply officer.

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Recently,the department had conducted a drive and had caught nearly 31,535 people with bogus cards. The directive to come forth and surrender is the last option or else they would face a criminal prosecution. We are giving them two weeks according to the SC directives, he added.Pune district both city and rural areas have a total of 15.60 lakh ration card holders.

Another official from the Public Distribution System said there were also people having the wrong cards. Some BPL card holders were having the antyodaya or annapurna or vice versa. Depending on the income and the slab allotted to the various schemes,this time frame can enable to get the correct ration cards.

Fair price shop owners have welcomed the directive. Sitaram Shinde,a fair price shop owner in Kondwa,said regular monitoring by the officials is necessary. Unless such stringent action is taken people wont come forward and submit their ration cards.

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