Slippers in queue, villagers wait in shade for PDS cards

not be surprised if you see slippers queued up in front of the counters for applying for ration cards in Bihar.

Even as the mercury hovers around 35°Celsius, standing in serpentine queues under the scorching sun in the day is taking a toll on villagers. Already, there are reports of a few women fainting after suffering heatstroke, necessitating hospitalisation in Purnia. To brave the oppressive summer heat, villagers have evolved an ingenious method of placing their slippers or bags in queue and wait under shade for their turn. A young man, who takes turns, is given the responsibility to move the slippers as the queue moves at a snail’s pace.

At Dhandaha sub-division in Purnia district, 300km east of Patna, the queues in front of right to public services counters, where applications for new ration cards are accepted, are reminiscent of early demonetisation days of last Novemberdecember.

The queues are apparently never-ending. Shanti Devi, who came from Majhua More to the Purnia Sadar RTPS counter claimed that she had made three futile attempts over the las three days.

“It is sheer harassment for the people as the governmen has not made proper arrange ment at these counters either a blocks or the subdivision office,” she said.

Another woman, Shakuntala Devi, said there was no separate queue for women, making it al the more difficult for them.

Pawan Kumar Mandal Dhandaha sub-division officer accepted the rush of card seek ers but defended the arrange ment.

Pankaj Kumar, secretary food and consumer protection department, told HT, “We are accepting applications for new ration cards, addition and dele tion of names through 101 RTPS counters at the sub-divisiona headquarter level across the state. Considering the rush, we have now extended the facility to cover 533 RTPS counters a block level in the state.”