SAD asks ECI to intervene and stop Cong govt from issuing aata-daal cards with the approval of Cong leaders only

(Dr Daljit Cheema says applicants being forced to approach Cong men, demands probe into the matter)

Chandigarh, December 17 – The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today requested the Election Commission of India (ECI) to intervene and give directions to the Congress government not to misuse government machinery by issuing ‘aata-daal’ cards at the instance of Congress legislators and constituency incharge only.

In a complaint filed with the ECI, SAD senior vice president Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said while this was prevalent across the entire State it was especially so in chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s home district of Ropar. The party has demanded a high level probe into the entire matter.

Giving details, Dr Cheema said genuine applicants seeking ‘aata-daal’ cards were pressurized by the concerned food and civil supplies inspector to visit the Congress legislator or constituency incharge and get their case recommended from them. He said the Congress leaders were in turn affixing a hologram on applications recommended by them which were then accepted for issuing of the relevant card.

The letter also detailed how Dr Cheema had spoken to the DFSC, Ropar and inquired as to why his department was compelling genuine applicants to visit Congress leaders. It said the officer in turn said he was helpless in the matter as the holograms were in the custody of the Congress leaders and that the system did not pick up any application for approval unless it did not have the hologram.

Terming this as an illegal and politically motivated exercise aimed at influencing the voters in the favor of the ruling congress party, Dr Cheema said “it also amounts to bribery and is a brazen misuse of government machinery”. Besides demanding a high level inquiry into the entire matter, he also demanded that strict punishment should be awarded to officers who had failed to do their duty and surrendered departmental holograms to Congress leaders. The SAD also urged the ECI to issue directions to the Congress government to stop this illegal practice immediately and issue aata-daal cards to genuine applicants irrespective of their political affiliations.