**Bhubaneswar: ** As the Odisha Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department has pointed out in its letters and reminders to the Collectors of all 30 districts that the detection and exclusion of death cases from NFSA ration card database is not in expected lines, it all appears that 39,609 ghost beneficiaries have been reaping National Food Security Act (NFSA) benefits in Odisha.
Odisha Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department Commissioner-cum-Secretary V.V. Yadav has on 14.11.2017 written to all the Collectors regarding ‘Exclusion of death cases from NFSA ration card database & inclusion thereof’.
In his letter, the Secretary, with reference to the Department’s earlier letters on June 12 and September 18, 2017, has said to the Collectors, “so far 39,609 numbers of death cases (0.12% of total enrolment under NFSA) have been detected in NFSA ration card database across the State.”
The letter has also enclosed district-wise exclusion list for reference.
“The percentage of detection and exclusion of death cases is not in expected lines which must be expedited,” the Food Supplies Secretary has underlined in his letter.
On the contrary, Yadav in his media reactions on Friday at the State Secretariat here clarified, “The letter which has been dispatched to Collectors is meant for deletion of death cases and inclusion of eligible beneficiaries waiting till date. Stress has been given to eliminate only death cases.”
“No quota has been availed in favour of death cases,” the Food Supplies Secretary contended.
On the other hand, a glaring case in point is that of tribal-dominated Kalahandi district’s Thuamul Rampur block where gullible tribal persons have been shown dead despite being alive by the unscrupulous elements and huge amount of money under the NSBS scheme have been siphoned off.
One such person is Ramdhar Goud of Laharajor village under Gopalpur Gram Panchayat in Thuamul Rampur block and his ignorant wife Sumati Goud has been befooled.
In her reactions, Sumati Goud said, “My husband Ramdhar is alive. It is one person of our village convinced me to get loan for me and took away my bank passbook. Later he informed me about the money and I received Rs 5,000. Out of Rs 5,000, I kept with me Rs 2,000 while he took away Rs 3,000.”
Another such victim is Prahallad Naik of the same village.
He recounted, “As I’m illiterate, I’m ignorant about it. He convinced me for availing a loan of Rs 50,000 from the bank. I’m a poor man and hence got enticed. I came to know about such a modus operandi recently otherwise I wouldn’t have fallen into his trap. He had given me Rs 8,000. Later on he took away Rs 6,000 from me and I got only Rs 2,000.”
An official of the Primary Health Centre (PHC) M. Dibyajyoti said, “We receive report of deaths. The report we avail through the people, Asha didi and NM didi. Death certificate is now being made online since 2015. Old certificates are being tampered and duplicated. Duplicates are not coming to us. It is being rampantly used for work in block and other places. Some enquiries are being verified by us. Whether a person is dead or alive we can know after the certificate is handed over to us. Unless and until we receive valid report and verify, we never issue death certificate.”
As the shocking modus operandi came to light, Kalahandi Collector, after initiating probe into the matter, has suspended two block officials while the kingpins (brokers) at the village level are still at large.
As per the guideline in this scheme, application with death certificate of the person and due recommendation of the Sarpanch is submitted with the Panchayat Extension Officer. It is being scrutinized by the ACO of the block and the money is deposited in the bank passbook through e-payment. Despite such paraphernalia, alive are being shown dead and amazingly money is being embezzled under the NSBS.
