CWE directs department to fast track over 57,000 applications for ration cards

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaOctober 9, 2020

The Committee on Women Empowerment of the state Assembly on Friday directed the Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department to fast track pending 57,000 applications for ration cards.

This also came after the state government had recently issued a notification which exempted BPL families from payment for COVID-19 testing and treatment.

“We have requested both these departments to immediately look into the urgency at which we need to ensure that people of the state do not face further hardships as because of the lockdown and post lockdown period till today livelihoods are still very challenging in Meghalaya. Thousands of people have come back to the state and left their jobs in other states even those individuals remained to be out of these important schemes. Therefore, the MHIS and NFSA are very important aids for the people of the state,” CWE chairperson Ampareen Lyngdoh told reporters.

Regarding the NFSA, the chairperson said there are over 21,45,015 beneficiaries who are covered under NFSA and non-NFSA schemes in the state out of which rural coverage is at 77.79 percent and urban coverage at 50.87 percent.

When enquired from the secretary of food civil supplies on the low coverage in urban Meghalaya, she said the committee found out that a total of 57,083 pending applications of which 11,108 are in East Khasi Hills alone, remained unattended since 2016.

“Having seen this, we have requested the department to fast track all these pending applications so that at least within the quota that the government of Meghalaya received under the NFSA, whoever has been left out from the system can be included,” she said.

The secretary of the department also briefed the committee that the deletion of names from the current (NFSA) list is also pending because large numbers of NFSA and non NFSA cards remained unclaimed.

The chairperson said the committee has decided to review the NFSA at this stage after the state government through its notification issued on October 6, had clearly defined who will be able to access COVID-19 testing and treatment free of cost.

She said the notification had categorically mentioned that citizens who are NFSA card holders (yellow and pink colour cards) can access free testing and treatment for COVID-19.

“Now in the event of 50 percent of a red zone like Shillong is not covered under the scheme, we will be in a very tight spot in this red zone because individuals will no longer be able to pay for the test as and when required. The notification has clearly and categorical states that only high risk individuals having yellow or pink BPL cards will be given free treatment whereas others down the line who are not high risk but who may still be positive because of whatever medical reasons in their proximity to a person who tested positive, now in this situation it is going to be very tricky for people of Shillong particularly and other cities like Ri Bhoi, North Garo Hills and East Jaintia Hills, where there is huge surge in the numbers of COVID positive cases. The coverage of BPL card holders in these areas sometime is under 50 percent like North Garo Hills, it is 47.35 percent. Therefore, we have requested identification of people who will be getting a free COVID testing and treatment facility,” Lyngdoh said.

She however suggested that in the Shillong city scenario, there has to be a system put in place by the government, so that the poorest of the poor, who are probably already listed in the latest census data may also be benefited and covered under this scheme.

“Also to my knowledge, the authority for certification of BPL cards is the CEO. If one person alone is to be engaged for BPL certification, then it may delay further the testing procedures and availing of COVID treatment free of cost,” she added.