Bhubaneswar: In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, Odisha govt has asked district collectors to identify foreign nationals who hold ration cards, food supplies and consumer welfare minister Krushna Chandra Patra said on Monday, adding that the names of such beneficiaries will be struck off the list.
Patra said the govt decided to act firmly against infiltration in welfare schemes meant exclusively for Indian citizens. “Foreign nationals residing in Odisha have been found to possess ration cards and get subsidised food grains under the public distribution system (PDS). Instructions have been issued to all district collectors to identify and cancel such cards immediately,” Patra said.
Patra said individuals from countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar illegally obtained ration cards by submitting false documents. “These people got these cards through fraudulent means. The govt views this seriously. Action will be taken against those involved in obtaining benefits through fraudulent means,” the minister said.
The food supplies and consumer welfare department, in collaboration with district administrations and police, launched a statewide verification drive. Officials have been asked to collect information at the grass-roots level through panchayat representatives, local bodies and community inputs to identify suspected cases.
“The ration card verification drive is part of the broader initiative to safeguard the integrity of the welfare system, under which beneficiaries get food grains at subsidised rates,” Patra said. Verification of identity cards is being carried out rigorously to ensure that only legitimate citizens are part of the system, he added.