STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Assam Rich to Surrender Ration Cards: State Food and Civil Supplies Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass has appealed to the affluent families to give up their ration cards to let the needy ones to avail themselves of the benefits. Addressing the media here on Monday, Dass said, "When I took charge of the Food and Civil Supplies Department, I felt that lakhs of poor families are being deprived of ration cards. The main reason behind this is many financially stable families enjoying the benefits of ration cards. The needy families are deprived.
"A section of affluent families also treat ration cards as a status symbol. They use rations cards for various other purposes, not to buy essential commodities at subsidized rates.
"I urge the families with more than Rs 1 lakh annual income to surrender their ration cards. The government employees, pensioners don't need to use such cards. They should surrender their cards."
When asked as to how many affluent families are using ration cards in the State, Dass couldn't give a tentative number. He said, "The department is collecting data of such families. We will be able to give ration cards to five lakh more poor families if the affluent ones surrender their cards."