New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday took strong exception to the cancellation of around 2.93 lakh ration cards despite objections by Food and Supplies Minister Imran Hussain and said it was "deliberate and intentional act of defiance" by officials.
Kejriwal said that the decision by Food Commissioner Mohanjit Singh without valid and justified reason also appeared to be a conspiracy to deny ration to the poor.
"...is a clear, deliberate and intentional violation at the behest of the central government," he said.
Kejriwal claimed that the officer did not provide any details of ration card holders and beneficiaries whose names were intended to be deleted despite Hussain repeatedly asking for the same.
"Instead officers are proceeding with cancellation of ration cards in utter defiance of the Minister's repeated directions," the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo said.
The Chief Minister's Office said that the step will have an adverse impact on the beneficiaries.
"The department officers failed to appreciate the adverse social impact of cancelling 2.93 lakh ration cards covering more than 10 lakh beneficiaries. All such families and members would be rendered hungry because of the insensitive, apathetic, hostile, inhuman attitude of the officers," it said, referring to the death of three minors in Mandawali due to non-availability of food.
The statement said that the Food Commissioner would be "solely responsible" for any incident caused due to non-availability of food.
Kejriwal's office claimed that cancellation was undertaken without door-to-door survey of households. It warned officers concerned of disciplinary action "as such acts of commission or omission make the decisions of public servants suspicious".
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