Mysuru: Little progress in the distribution of Ration Cards came up to the fore at the monthly ZP Progress Review meeting at ZP Hall here this morning.

During the course of the meeting, Food and Civil Supplies Department officials said that the department had received 85,691 applications for BPL cards so far, out of which 79,815 applications were held valid while the rest were rejected for various discrepancies.

When the officials said that only 646 cards were distributed last month, ZP JD(S) member Beerihundi Basavanna getting angry, took the department Manager to task, questioning him on the department’s lethargic attitude in the distribution of cards.

Highlighting the importance of BPL cards, Basavanna said that the poor were finding it difficult to get treatment at hospitals for want of cards.

Questioning the delay, Basavanna asked the Manager to set a time-frame for distribution of cards, to which the Manager replied that the department will consider distribution of 10,000 cards a month to clear backlog applications.

Another issue which was primarily discussed at the meeting was complaints on RTE admission in schools. When Education officer Chandra Patil was asked what action the Education Department had taken against schools violating RTE rules, he could not give a convincing reply.

Beerihundi Basavanna took the education officials to task for not taking action against schools found refusing RTE admissions.

He asked what was preventing the officials to take action against erring schools.

ZP President Nayeema Sulthana presided. ZP Vice-President Nataraj, CEO Shivashankar, ZP member Dayanandamurthy and others were present.