HL: Ration card holders forced to attend CM’s Jalgaon programme: Reports

Kicker: Shasan Aplya Dari / Govt’s flagship initiative in controversy

MUMBAI: State government’s flagship initiative ‘Shasan Aplya Dari’ (government at your doorstep) got mired in a controversy after ration card holders claimed they were forced to attend chief minister Eknath Shinde’s programme in Jalgaon on Tuesday.

According to local reports, fair price shop owners in Jalgaon allegedly threatened ration card holders saying their cards would be cancelled and supply of food grains will be stopped for the next three to four months if they did not attend the programme, in which was also present deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

According to reports, fair price shops in Jalgaon have sent messages to ration card holders that they are getting free ration because of the chief minister and the deputy chief minister and thus, it is mandatory for them to attend the programme.

The message reportedly went on to warn that whoever skips the event, their ration cards will be cancelled, and they will not get their supply of ration for the next three to four months.

Tweeting a picture of the news report, Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil on Tuesday slammed Shinde government for misusing state machinery.

“To gather a large crowd for ‘Shasan Aplya Dari’ initiative in Jalgaon, the attendance by ration card holders has been made mandatory. A threat message has been sent to them saying that their ration cards will be cancelled, and supply of food grains will be stopped for four months… Maharashtra has never seen such a dictatorship and whoever is involved in this dictatorship, people will show them their place,” Patil tweeted.

All the district administrations have been asked to organise two-day camps in their jurisdictions to ensure the success of the initiative. They have also been given a target of providing benefits to around 75,000 locals in each district under the campaign.

Shinde has made it a point to attend several of these camps. However, Tuesday’s development has brought the initiative, which is aimed at improving the image of the government, into controversy.

Reactions from the government and the ruling parties are awaited.