Forest minister K Raju, Eravipuram MLA M Naushad in ration card priority list

Both K Raju and M Naushad are associated with the ruling LDF and hail from Kollam district Individuals who have a 1,000-sq ft house, a car or one acre of land are supposed to be excluded from the ration priority list The food and civil supplies department said they have no clue how such an anomaly occurred

In a rather embarrassing development, it has emerged that forest minister K Raju and Eravipuram MLA M Naushad have been included in the ration card priority list. 

Both leaders are associated with the ruling LDF and hail from Kollam district. The food and civil supplies department said they have no clue how such an anomaly occurred while preparing the list, according to reports. 

Employees of government and quasi-government departments, public sector companies, banks and pensioners are supposed to be excluded from the ration priority list. Individuals who have a 1,000-sq ft house, a car or one acre of land are also left out.

Minister and CPI leader K Raju, who has permanent income and owns a car, received a pink ration card under his wife's name. She had retired from the irrigation department as superintendent.

Eravipuram MLA and CPM leader Naushad is a legislator who draws a salary of around Rs 40,000. However, the MLA's family has been given a pink ration card. The card has been issued in the name of his mother.

Naushad said that he took necessary steps to rectify the issue as soon as he came to know about it. He stated that his family never bought anything using the pink ration card.