By Vibhor Mohan
Dharamsala, October 25 – More than 20,000 Tibetans settled in Himachal Pradesh stand to lose their ration cards in the light of the new Specified Articles Regulation of Distribution Order. They would be left out in the process of the issuance and renewal of ration cards.
Even though the order specifies that refugees cannot be issued ration cards, considering that Tibetans have been enjoying this status for nearly three decades now, the Food and Supplies Department has taken up the issue with the Centre for clarification.
“It is a piquent situation,” said Mr Balbir Sinha, Joint Director, Food and Supplies Department, Shimla.
“While issuing the PDS Control Order, the Government of India had said further modalities about the issuance of ration cards would be specified by the state government. Consequently, the Specified Articles Regulation of Distribution Order was notified last year. This is for the first time that new ration cards are being issued after the notification was issued,” he added.
The order, says Mr Sinha, states that the ration card is a legal document and should therefore be issued to only specified people. “Now we have taken up the issue with the Government of India and things like whether or not refugees can be included in this would be clear only after getting the clarification,” he said.
When contacted, Mr Sonam, in charge, Tibetan Welfare Office, said they were yet to receive any such written order. “Most of the members of the Tibetan community use the cards and we will definitely request the government to reconsider any decision to leave us out. We have been getting the facility for several years,” he added.
“Till now, ration cards with validity period of one year were being issued to nearly 10,000 Tibetans within Dharamsala itself. Although some Tibetans have talked about they being refused ration, there has been no formal complaint to us so far on this issue,” he added.
According to an official of the Food and Supplies Department, even though many Tibetans are still using their expired ration cards to get ration and gas cylinders at subsidised rates, the department is waiting for a go-ahead from the Centre to implement the new orders. “The department does not want to enter into any trouble on the issue. A reply to the letter sent to the Government of India is expected next week. No decision would be taken till then,” he added.
