Hyderabad, 1 June 2021
SUBJECT: RECORD PADDY PROCUREMENT IN TELANGANA AND FREE RICE SUPPLY IN JUNE-JULY BUT THOUSANDS OF APPLICATIONS FOR FOOD SECURITY CARDS PENDING – ISSUE OF FOOD SECURITY CARDS STOPPED IN TELANGANA – APPLICATIONS OF 2019 PENDING TILL DATE – JOB LOSSES AND NO RATION CARD AND NO RATION SUPPLIES
REFERENCES: Our earlier representations of 12 May and 20 May 2021, and telecons/whatsapp with regard to pending ration card of August 2019. Online grievance also not resolved.
Commissioner Civil supplies and officials declare ration card issuance has been halted. How can an entitlement to food through food security card issuance be halted in Telangana?
Minister of Civil Supplies declared that in June and July months put together 20 kgs of rice would be supplied to all ration card holders in telangana. We have been repeatedly been flagging the non-issuance of food security cards for pending applications. Thousands of applicants for ration cards will not be able to avail this supply of rice!!!
Telangana state civil supplies corporation TSCSC commissioner stated that new record of paddy procurement by purchasing 67.04 lac tonnes of produce from farmers. This is more than last year’s 64.17 ac tonnes and more is expected for stock. When the pending applications for ration cards are not been processed and rice not being rushed to the applicant notwithstanding that their cards are not issued, what is relevance of such declaration of paddy stocks, to a person waiting for ration card?
We urge the authorities to reach on war-footing the rice and also supply other ration shop commodities to all the pending applications irrespective of not holding ration cards. On the other hand, processing of the cards may be immediately started so as due procedure be followed to weed out non-eligible applications as well as non-eligible card holders.
We would be forced to approach the High Court because the fundamental right of right to entitlement to food is being denied by halting processing of ration card applications. It is unimaginable that during loss of jobs reported of more than 1 crore from Jan 2021 to April 2021 in India, government of Telangana does not issue food security cards and does not rush food grains to thousands of the applicants of ration cards that it has kept pending since years, and the applicants suffer today.
Best,
Dr Lubna Sarwath
State General Secretary, Socialist Party (India)
