Bhubaneswar: Amid warnings of strict action against ineligible beneficiaries by the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare (FS&CW) Department, at least 20,000 government employees in Odisha have surrendered their ration cards.
The state government had set January 31 as the deadline for ineligible beneficiaries under the Public Distribution System (PDS) to return their ration cards voluntarily.
The number of surrendered cards stood at 12,000 just two days ago, but has since risen significantly, said FS&CW Minister Krushna Chandra Patra.
Clarifying eligibility criteria, the Minister stated that contractual employees earning up to Rs 12,000 per month are not required to surrender their ration cards.
However, as per the National Food Security Act (NFSA), individuals with a monthly income of Rs 15,000 or above must return their cards.
Patra reiterated the government’s stance, urging ineligible beneficiaries to surrender their ration cards before punitive measures are implemented.
“Those who voluntarily return their cards will not face any consequences, but strict action will be taken against those who continue to hold them despite being ineligible,” he warned.
Currently, around 3.35 crore people in Odisha benefit from the PDS scheme.
