New Delhi: Addressing the Upper House on Monday, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha said it was distressing to hear about the cancellation of '3 crore' ration cards during the Covid crisis in the country last year. The ration cards were allegedly cancelled as it was not seeded to Aadhar cards.
"Deaths due to starvation in our country is a blot on the society," Jha said, raising the issue of ration card cancellation due to non-seeding of Aadhar cards.
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During the Zero Hour Jha said the cards were cancelled due to technical reasons, contrary to initial claims that they were fake. The central government scrapped over three crore ration cards during the Covid induced lockdown in India.
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Jha requested the central government to restore the status of all cancelled cards. Speaking about the seeding of ration cards with Aadhaar, the MP reminded the parliament about the challenges of providing internet access in remote tribal and rural lands.
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Jha also demanded that nodal officers be appointed under the Food Security Act (FSA) in all districts in India and suggested that employees working in the food department be deployed as nodal officers.
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Following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), the issue was even taken up by the Supreme Court and a reply was also sought from the Central Government in this regard.
