Hyderabad, June 26 (FN Agency) The Telangana unit of the BJP on Sunday requested the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to direct the Telangana government to lift cancellation of the 19 lakh rations cards that were removed without reason and also immediately lift the ban on 7 lakh fresh applications received for the new ration cards. In a letter addressed to the Commission, BJP state President and MP, Bandi sanjay said there is clear violation of article-14 and article-21 of the constitution and the failure is also nothing but violation of human dignity as guaranteed under Article -21 of the constitution. The Telangana Government and its instrumentalities have utterly failed to protect the human dignity which a citizen of this Country is entitled to as enshrined in the Constitution of India, he said.
He also urged the Commission to order the Telangana government to complete the process in a time bound manner of within two to three months. The government has cancelled 19 lakhs of ration cards, allowing no grievance redressal mechanism and not opening the computer systems for fresh applications for ration cards, Sanjay said the directions are essential from this Commission as the Government of Telangana fails or refuses to understand the problems faced by citizens from Telangana State. The Government of Telangana so far has cancelled 19 lakh cards since 2014, without giving any notice and without assigning any reason and in fact, 19 lakh families have been thrown out of the safety net which allows them food at subsidized rates, the MP said.
The basic nutrition through the public distribution system (PDS)is a statutory right where even linking Aadhar cards as prerequisite for a ration card is not mandatory, he said there are 17 parameters which could be invoked to cancel a ration cad and none of those were taken into consideration while cancelling these ration cards/ Since June 2021, the government has literally stopped this enrollment, as it has modified the Mee Seva centres systems to block fresh applications, he said based on the data gathered from media reports, another 7 lakh applications were pending even before the government stopped allowing fresh applications. Ration cards ensure food and nutrition through the PDS for families living below the poverty line. The ration card is the only thing which keeps them from slipping into starvation. Right to food is part of the right to dignity and life. The National Food Security Act creates an obligation on the state to provide nutrition through PDS.We respectfully submit that no similar petition has been filed by me in any Court of Law, he added.