CUTTACK: The lockdown imposed to contain the transmission of COVID-19 has exposed the ugly face of poverty in some rural pockets of Cuttack where people were forced to mortgage their ration cards with local money lenders for a meager return.
In Pankola Dalit Sahi under Tigiria block’s Jemadeipur panchayat, digitized ration card under National Food Security Act (NFSA) were found mortgaged with a local moneylender Basir Khan. On being informed, a team comprising Tigiria BDO Diptimayee Behera, Additional Tehsildar Hemant Nayak and IIC Rabindra Bhujabal on Monday raided the house of Khan and seized three ration cards from his possession.
The moneylender used to give poor beneficiaries money to lift their ration from the local PDS dealer in exchange for their cards. After procuring their quota of the provisions, the beneficiaries would hand over the ration materials to Khan towards payment of interest of their hand loan.
With the Government declaring additional benefits like three months’ advance ration and financial assistance of Rs 1000 to ration cardholders, the beneficiaries revealed the fact in fear of losing the benefits.
After receiving a complaint about the pledging of ration cards by 15 NFSA beneficiaries with Khan, the local administration initiated the step towards recovery. However, after being tipped-off, Khan returned 12 ration cards to the respective beneficiaries. “The moneylender who was detained in the local police station was later released with a warning not to indulge in such act,” said BDO Behera.