Release ration cards of genuine families

Coming to the support of its president, Jagti Tenement Committee (JTC) today demanded that the ration cards of five families including that of Shadi Lal Pandita be released immediately.

The eight ration cards are under eight different names and Shadi Lal was unnecessarily made a scapegoat, JTC chairman B L Raina and its vice president, Vijay Koul told reporters here today.

They said that the president of the organization who raised his voice against power crisis in Jagti township, opposed the imposition of power tariff on its inmates and highlighted the other basic demands was made a target.

"Out of eight cards four exist on the name of Sarvanand Pandita, Mittan Jee, Rakesh Pandita and Sumit Pandita while one is on the name of Shadi Lal, said Raina. All these are genuine families and the Relief Organization should release these cards as the families are facing hardships for last seven months’’, he added.

He said the withholding of ration and relief for such a long period is a human rights violation also as the families are at the verge of starvation.

Raina said Shadi Lal is a social worker who always worked for the migrants’ cause and protested for solution of their genuine problems. It is because of these acts that the Relief Organization have implicated him, he added.

Terming the reports that Mr Lal has eight ration cards totally baseless, he said there is no authentic proof of that as the poor fellow has only one ration card registered at Nagrota Camp where he was previously putting up.

Moreover if the person had eight ration cards why the Department remained calm during all these 20 long years he asked. Moreover why relief was paid to fake ration cards till date and why the D Forms of fake cards were accepted by the Department, he added.

Let the authorities make a thorough probe into the matter and the JTC has full faith in the investigation of Crime Branch and it welcomes the step of Releif organization in referring matter to it. He also announced that JTC will continue to fight for the demands of Jagti camp inmates.