Slippers in queue, villagers wait in shade for PDS cards
TO BRAVE THE HEAT, THE VILLAGERS HAVE COME UP WITH AN INGENIOUS METHOD OF PLACING THEIR SLIPPERS OR BAGS IN QUEUE AND WAIT UNDER THE SHADE FOR THEIR TURN
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 (RTPS) 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 last three days.
“It is sheer harassment for the people as the government has not made proper arrangement at these counters either at blocks or the subdivision office,” she said.
Another woman, Shakuntala Devi, said there was no separate queue for women, making it all the more difficult for them.
Pawan Kumar Mandal, Dhandaha sub-division officer, accepted the rush of card seekers but defended the arrangement. “We have increased the number of counters from one to two. We have put up corrugated shades and deployed a team of doctors, a magistrate and an ambulance at RTPS counter sites. The rush of people is more out of ignorance than anything else because it is an ongoing process.”
Pankaj Kumar, secretary, food and consumer protection department, told HT, “We are accepting applications for new ration cards, addition and deletion of names through 101 RTPS counters at the sub-divisional headquarter level across the state. Considering the rush, we have now extended the facility to cover 533 RTPS counters at block level in the state.”