Bhubaneswar, Jan 16 : New State BJP President Basant Panda today announced to launch mass protests across the State to condemn ‘large scale’ irregularities in the preparation of National Food Security Act (NFSA) beneficiary list and ration card distribution.
Panda addressing his first press conference after taking the reins of the State unit, said that the party has decided to continue its protest over the irregularities till all the eligible beneficiaries get their due.
“The party has decided to launch mass protests across the state till the time all eligible beneficiaries are given ration cards under NFSA and proper management of the whole process of distribution is ensured,” Panda told newsmen.
He said the State government missed the deadline of NFSA implementation and took additional time till 2015 to distribute the card. Even then a large number of eligible beneficiaries have been left out and BJD activists have been illegally enrolled, he added.
“MLAs, Mayors, Zilla Parishad office bearers etc have all availed cards in their names fraudulently and against the guidelines of NFSA,” Panda claimed.
The BJP chief said no action has been initiated against several offenders barring a few though as per the guidelines of NFSA such lapses are punishable.
He said the six criteria to include a beneficiary and nine criteria to delete were nearly foolproof. But as these guidelines were not followed properly irregularities have cropped up, he said.
“Just by shifting responsibility on lower rung officials for the mistakes, the State government can not escape its accountability,” Panda said adding the State government should probe as to who was at the root of the issue.
He also criticized the State government saying that the way it publicized the Central scheme as its own amounts to ‘fraud’.
“We demand immediate arrest of all those involved in this fraud,” he said.
Panda also criticized the State government for its claim on the Re.1 Rice scheme and dared the government to disclose the Centre’s contribution towards the scheme.
He said that the Centre contributes Rs 27.38 out of the total subsidy of Rs 30.38 under the scheme and alleged that the State government is only taking undue credit for the scheme without any significant contribution.
Panda announced that he will follow a four-point programme to guide the party in the State.
His efforts will be to strengthen the party at the grass root, according due status to the youth and woman in the State, to make the people aware of the development works of the NDA government at the Centre and oppose the activities of BJD government which were against the interest of the people, Panda said.
