'Attend CM's event or lose ration card': NCP alleges threat

MUMBAI: State NCP president Jayant Patil on Tuesday alleged the Shinde-Fadnavis government had threatened to cancel ration cards of beneficiaries if they did not attend the 'Shasan Aplya Dari' (government at your doorstep) event in Jalgaon, to be attended by the CM and Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis, on Tuesday.
The CMO reacted saying the Jalgaon collector has made it clear any such order passed locally by anyone would be cancelled and stern action taken against ration shop owners who refused to provide foodgrains to people below the poverty line.
According to reports, a section of ration shop owners had circulated a message saying ration cards of those who did not attend the CM's event would be cancelled and they would not get foodgrains for four months. Jalgaon is hometown of BJP's Girish Mahajan and Shiv Sena's Gulabrao Patil, both state cabinet ministers.
"We are shocked and surprised over direct threat to cancel ration card if beneficiaries do not attend the event organized by the Jalgaon district administration, which is being attended by CM Eknath Shinde and DCM Devendra Fadnavis. It's a different kind of dictatorship," Patil tweeted.
The Shinde-Fadnavis government on May 14, 2023 launched the scheme, 'Shasan Aplya Dari' whose purpose is to explain to people the different welfare schemes meant for those below poverty line. Besides providing details of government schemes, the programme provides information on filing forms for securing benefits of schemes. In addition, it has been proposed 'rojgar melas' and health and blood donation camps would be organized on the day of the event. The state has set a target of reaching out to 27 lakh ration card holders. Jayant Patil alleged, "To mobilize people, government is misusing government machinery." NCP leader Eknath Khadse said more than half-a-dozen messages were being circulated all day. "There was no clarification from the administration," he said.