Section 4 in Chhattisgarh Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2004
4. Ration card.
(1)State Government shall issue distinctive ration cards for each scheme. Ration cards shall be issued after application of beneficiary family received in the form prescribed by Director.The primary purpose of the Public Distribution System is to ensure food security to all vulnerable citizens and the ration card is a means of doing so. Therefore, ration cards will also be provided to all residents whose legal title to their place of residence is disputed by the State (e.g. Forest dwellers, urban encroachers).(2)Permanent address of homeless and destitute persons shall not be required in the prescribed proforma. Instead of the permanent address, their address could be shown as "care of' the nearest ration shop.(3)Ration Cards will also be issued to all residents of urban settlements even if they do not have tenurial rights over the property that they live in. This will be valid for all eligible residents of "encroached" government land.(4)Residents of forest villages who are resident on "encroached" or disputed forest land will also be issued ration cards.(5)State Government shall take regular action to cancel all bogus ration cards.(6)Ration card of families living above poverty line (APL) shall be issued by the Gram Panchayat in rural areas, in urban areas, by Local Bodies; Authority of Special Area Development Authority and Cantonment Board of Cantonment areas shall prepare and issue ration cards to consumers in their respective jurisdiction. Distinctive ration cards shall be issued by the officer authorized by the Collector to families living below poverty line (BPL).(7)Present ration cards issued under different schemes shall be valid till its cancellation.(8)No person shall, -(a)apply for or receive ration card when a ration card has already been issued in her/his name or any member of her/his family and her/his or her/his family members name has been made mentioned in it;(b)give incorrect details or information while applying for a family card;(c)willfully alter or destroy, deface or permit to be defaced any of the entries on the family card.(9)Respective office/body/official shall issue the ration card after necessary inspection and verification within one month of receiving the application. A copy of the application and inspection report shall be given to the Fair Price Shop. All applications and inspection reports shall be maintained in a register and shall be compulsorily produced on demand of the inspection officer.(10)The holder of a ration card shall get the same registered with concerned Fair Price Shop. The ration cardholder can obtain essential commodities of Government Schemes after the submission of ration card from the Fair Price Shop, where the ration card is registered.(11)If State Government shall not provide ration card or make alteration in entries as requested by the card holder within a month, then the concerned authority shall intimate the cause of the delay to the applicant in writing.(12)The Collector shall ensure that ration cards are issued to all the identified eligible families living below poverty line and persons identified for specific schemes. For that, she/he can issue necessary instructions to concerned officers or body.(13)Normally a ration card shall be valid for five years from its date of issuance. After five years the ration card shall be renewed or a new ration card will be issued as the State Government may prescribe.(14)Ration cards shall have clearly marked on it the name and address of the ration cardholder, name, age of family members and their relation with head of family and name and number of Fair Price Shop from whom the ration cardholder is entitled to purchase essential commodities.(15)The card will be issued jointly in the name of both the eldest male and female members of the family. Both these names will appear under the section "Name of the head of the family" in the ration card.(16)In case of women who separated from her husband or is deserted by him, she would automatically be entitled for a separate card in her name. It will be the responsibility of the concerned issuing authority to ensure that her name is struck off from the original card. In case the separation from her family results in a loss of livelihood or a lowering of her economic statutes, her application for an independent card would be processed such that she can directly get a card under the BPL, Annapoorna and Antodaya scheme, whichever is appropriate.(17)No ration card fees shall be charged or recovered by the Panchayat or any issuing authority for the issue of ration card to families covered under BPL, Antodaya and Annapurna.(18)A ration card shall not be available for any legal use except when it is used by or on behalf of the person in respect of whom it is issued and it shall not be used for identification of any person.(19)Ration card issued to any person shall not be transferred to any another person.(20)Every family ration card under this order shall be the property of the State Government but the person to whom it is issued, or to the authority to whom it has been surrendered by her/him shall be responsible for its safe custody.(21)If any ration card is defaced, lost or destroyed, an authorized officer, after making such enquiry as she/he may think fit, issue a new ration card in place thereof, on payment of such fees as may be fixed.(22)When a new ration card is issued in place of a lost ration card, it shall be the duty of person to whom the new ration card has been issued, if she/he subsequently finds the lost ration card, to return the lost ration card forthwith to the officer by whom it was issued.(23)Any person who is in possession of a ration card and such possession is not authorized by or under this order shall forthwith deliver such a ration card to the concerned Tehsildar or Local Bodies.(24)Elimination of bogus ration cards as well as bogus units in the ration cards shall be a continuous exercise by the Collector to check diversion of essential commodities.(25)The concerned Sub-Divisional Officer or ration card issuance authority after giving the holder of any such ration card an opportunity stating her/his case and for reason to be recorded in writing, add to, amend vary or rescind the ration card if it is in the interest of general public necessary or expedient so to do, and in every such case, the holder of the ration card shall be bound to surrender the ration card on demand for endorsement or cancellation as the case may be.
