4 govt employees suspended for violating NFSA criteria

Four government employees, including a policeman, have been suspended in Kendrapara district for registering themselves for digitalised ration cards in violation of National Food Security Act (NFSA) provisions, officials said today.
Besides the police constable, the employees who were suspended yesterday include two teachers of government-run primary schools and a fourth grade employee from Rajkanika Tehsil of the district.
As state and central government employees are excluded from the benefits of the NFSA scheme, those who had applied had been directed to voluntarily withdraw their applications as they were not eligible, Kendrapara district Collector Debraj Senapati said.
But those who failed to do so were placed under suspension under section 10 (1) of National Food Security Act provisions, he said.

The government had issued eight exclusion criteria including any state government or central government employee and people belonging to Above Poverty Line (APL).
Ineligible applicants who figure in the exclusion criteria should withdraw their applications at the earliest. If they fail to do so, the administration would be forced to initiate legal action against them, the Collector said.
Besides government employees, income tax payers, persons having vehicles including two wheelers, business with TIN (tax payer identification number), households with electricity consumption of above 300 units per month, persons having power tillers, fishing boats or other heavy vehicles and professional tax payers are among those who are not entitled to get benefit of the scheme, officials said.