Release arrested ineligible ration card holders, demands Odisha BJP

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Sambalpur, Jul 9: 

BJP today took on Odisha Government over implementation of NFSA in Odisha and asked the State Government to release the ineligible NFSA card holders that have been arrested for availing NFSA cards.

The party today flayed the government alleging that proper legal procedures are not being followed before making arrests.

Hundreds of ineligible NFSA card holders, on the other hand, were seen standing in long queues in Sambalpur to return their cards after the district administration started cracking down and arresting ineligible beneficiaries.

“Section 420 cannot be applied to incidents that happen by mistake while filling up a form needed to avail a government service. Section 41 of CrPC has also been amended and it rules that police cannot make arrests in cognizable offences punishable with imprisonment for a term which may be less than seven years. Instead of arresting the ladies, notices should have been served on them first,” argued BJP national Secretary Suresh Pujari speaking to reporters in Sambalpur today.

Sambalpur MLA Raseswari Panigrahi, on the other hand, defended the government and said that action had to be taken after the ineligible NFSA card holders failed to return their cards within the stipulated timeframe.

“A chance had been given to them to return their NFSA cards within a deadline. Few arrests were made after that. There is nothing illegal here. Anyway, we have extended the timeframe to return the cards again,” said Panigrahi.

The district collector also echoed similar lines.

“We had given a chance to the ineligible NFSA card holders to return their cards. Action was taken only after they failed to return their cards. They had submitted affidavits stating that they come under NFSA eligibility criteria, which is not true. Police is taking action against them on this ground under various sections of IPC for cheating,” said Collector Samarth Verma.