PATNA: Believe it or not, a family in Bihar’s Vaishali has as many as 68 members, their online ration card has revealed. Not just that, the card seems to propound the virtue of ‘religious harmony’ by enlisting Hindu as well as Muslim family members as beneficiaries, raising the hackles of authorities.
Suspecting anomaly in ration distribution through PDS shops under the ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ scheme, Mahua SDO Sandeep Kumar has directed Chehrakalan block development officer Kumud Ranjan to conduct a probe and lodge an FIR against PDS dealer Sanjay Kumar.
“I have directed the BDO concerned to lodge an FIR against the dealer for committing fraud and ensure recovery of the foodgrains at the earliest,” Kumar told TOI over phone.
The matter came to light during a recent scrutiny of foodgrain distribution among ration card holders in the blocks of Vaishali district. The officials were stunned to know that over 38 quintals of foodgrains were given to a particular family headed by one Jubaida Khatoon, which also had Umesh Paswan and Navin Kumar as members. Preliminary investigation revealed that the PDS dealer submitted the list of 68 beneficiaries of a family for free as well as subsidised foodgrains.
Each family member on a ration card is entitled to get 5kg of wheat/rice per month.