Bengal Ration Scam: ED Gets Clues on How Fake Cards Were Used

Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials probing the ration distribution case in West Bengal have some specific clues on the modus operandi of how fake cards were used in the alleged scam by the operators.

Sources said that investigation has revealed that mainly two types of fake ration cards were used in the process. The first were those belonging to deceased persons whose cards were not cancelled by the state food and supplies department because of a lack of intimation from the relatives.

The second type involved those who shifted to a new locality and enrolled in the fair price shop. Sources said that once that person was enrolled in the new locality, his old card in the earlier locality should have been automatically cancelled but did not.

However, sources added, the operators, with the cooperation of a section of officials and staff in the state food and supplies department, managed to keep those old cards active.

Huge amounts of food items were raised against these categories of fake cards and those items were sold in the open markets at premium prices.

Recently, the state food and supplies department submitted the details of the ration cards cancelled by them during the last few years. The department also informed that an average of fake cards cancelled every year per fair price shop ranged from 10 to 15 per cent of the total cards attached with that shop.

However, sources said, the Central agency sleuths have traced that in many instances there was a substantial gap between the cancellation date and the date of death of a person or relocation to a new place. During that interim period, a significant amount of food grains were raised against those cards.

In certain shops, the Central agency sleuths have tracked, the number of cards actually cancelled was lower than the number of cards that should have been cancelled.