Hyderabad: Even as the state government plans to issue new ration cards to beneficiaries from January 26, the cases of ineligible beneficiaries falling through the cracks and enjoying government benefits continue to plague the system. An example of such abuse of government benefits has been alleged by a person who claimed that a former sarpanch, his wife, sister, father, and mother have been drawing the benefits of the public distribution system through the ration card fraudulently for all these years.
Sabavat Srinivas, a resident of Hasthinapuram in Rangareddy district had written to the district civil supplies officer on December 31, 2024, alleging that Ramavath Jagadeesh, sarpanch of Thakkallapally Thanda in Yacharam mandal of Rangareddy district, has served as the sarpanch of the village from 2019 to 2024, and his wife Ramavath Priyanka has been working in the banking sector.
Srinivas also alleged that Jagadeesh’s sister Ramavath Thirumala’s husband was a private employee drawing a decent salary, Jagadeesh’s father Ramavath Anthiram Nayak has served as the village’s deputy sarpanch for the past 15 years, and his mother Ramavath Kamsalya has served as the Rythu Bandhu Samithi member in the village during the BRS government.
Telangana govt not cancelling existing ration cards: Ponnam
Srinivas complains that all these years that family has been enjoying the government’s benefits and continues to do so, while the administration overlooks the pilferage of taxpayers’ money despite his complaints to the authorities about the brazen violation.
The complainant has enclosed the voter lists, the details of the members in the ration card, and his representation reviewed by Ibrahimpatnam MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy.
“As the new ration cards drive is ongoing by the Government of Telangana, it is very important that such black fraudulent FSCs /ration cards should be filtered and deleted and severely punished. Such fraudulent ration causes a heavy burden on the public exchequer both in terms of administration and grains
under PDS,” opined social activist Dr Lubna Sarwath.
With the ministers of the Congress government announcing that none of the old ration cards will be canceled, it needs to be seen whether the ration cards will be given to those who deserve it or otherwise.
