Thiruvananthapuram: Possession of multiple ration cards is a criminal offence. However, the family of a CPI local secretary here has managed to get two ration cards.
Coincidentally, the CPI functionary is also a member of the Ration Traders Welfare Fund Board. He is also a state office-bearer of a pro-CPI association of ration traders. His wife is a ration shop dealer. Her husband works as a salesman in the same ration shop.
The records of the Food and Civil Supplies Department reveal that the family is using a priority household category card (pink colour); and non-priority category non-subsidy card (blue). The former includes the names of the father and the son, and the listed beneficiaries in the latter card are he man's wife and daughter. The cards were allotted under the Kozhencherry taluk in the Pathanamthitta district.
The ration shop licensee can only use the non-priority non-subsidy (white) card, the Food and Civil Supplies Department officials have confirmed.
Civil Supplies Minister G R Anil, meanwhile, clarified that two cards can be allowed if a house has two kitchens. But cards can be issued under this stipulation only if there are two families. Those ineligible to hold priority cards and subsidy cards were earlier given an opportunity to voluntarily submit these and shift to the non-priority card. Still if such cards are being held, these can be seized and a fine can be levied.
After the ‘Operation Yellow’ drive was announced by the Minister, the department had seized thousands of such wrongly held cards, but the cards held by the CPI leader’s family apparently were not noticed. The officials at the taluk supply office claim that they have not received any complaint.
