Odisha mob turns violent over missing names in NFSA list

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Astaranga, Oct 2:

Shisua panchayat under Astaranga block in Odisha’s Puri district witnessed violence on World Non-violence Day today as hundreds of angry locals ransacked the panchayat office after not finding their names in the list of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) uploaded on the internet.

The mob turned violent after about 300 eligible beneficiaries allegedly found their names missing in the beneficiary list uploaded on the internet.

Protesting against their names missing in the list of beneficiaries eligible to get digitized ration cards under NFSA uploaded in the website of the Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare department, angry locals gatecrashed into the panchayat office while the sarpanch and the panchayat executive officer were holding a gram sabha on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti and smashed furniture and other assets before setting them on fire.

They questioned why their names were missing from the list while they were eligible on all counts. They locked up the sarpanch, panchayat executive officer and the samiti members inside the panchayat building.

“The names of many deserving/eligible beneficiaries for ration cards are missing in the list. The name of a destitute woman, who has lost her husband and has a child with no earning member in the family is missing. She has nothing to eat but her name is missing. There are many such instances,” said a man speaking to reporters.

The angry locals demanded an inquiry into the striking off their names from the list and action against those responsible for it.

“The list is prepared on the basis of lists obtained through angaanwadis.  Yes, its true that names of many people who deserve to get ration cards are missing from the list of beneficiaries who will be issued with ration cards. So people are angry,” said Nilakantha Barik, panchayat executive officer of Shisua.