The state government's new ration card policy aims to sift the `poor' from the `not so poor.' In doing so, the government has come out with an intriguing application form that has very little to do with PDS.

The form not only demands details about the income of a person but also about other members, dependents, their income, employment information, various taxes, vehicles owned, telephone, and rental details.

Says T L Goray, deputy secretary of Food and Civil Supplies department, ``We are going to issue yellow cards to those earning below Rs 15,000 per annum, saffron cards to those earning between Rs 15,000-Rs one lakh and white cards to those earning more than Rs one lakh perannum.'' That would roughly translate to below Rs 1,250, between Rs 1,250-Rs 8,333 and above Rs 8,333 per month.

The yellow card for those below poverty line (BPL) will entitle them to rice at Rs 4 per kg, wheat at Rs 3 per kg, 10 kg chana dal and palm and soya oil at Rs 30 per litre. Two lakh cards of this category were already issued last year.

Saffron card holders (above poverty line) will get rice at Rs 7.90 per kg and wheat at Rs 5 per kg subject to a maximum of 30 kg foodgrains per family. White card holders will get no foodgrains at all. They will only be entitled to sugar, kerosene and cooking gas.

However, there's a different yardstick for the poor in rural and adivasi/drought-prone areas. A yearly income below Rs 4,000 for the rural poor and below Rs 15,000 for the latter category. ``This is so because most people in rural areas hold land,'' justifies Goray.

If that's not ridiculous, here's more. You are white if you own a four-wheeler or more than four hectares of irrigated land but saffronif the four-wheeler is a taxi. What about telephones? Says Goray, ``It was earlier felt that those with a telephone at home were not entitled to rations but later we changed our opinion as even the poor can afford them. By then the forms were already printed. Hence the enquiry about telephones in the form.''

He adds, ``Though the state government spends almost Rs 500 crore as subsidies for PDS, essential commodities were not reaching the poor or were being misused. Figures of March '98 reveal that 60.5 lakh people in Mumbai and 11.5 lakh in the state's rural areas paid income tax. A large number of these people do not use PDS and give their ration cards to servants. The new policy will also discourage blackmarketing.''

He maintains that the information given on the application form will be treated as confidential and will not be computerised or used in any court of law. ``Printing of blank ration cards is almost over, and the educated unemployed will be assigned the task of filling them at the rate of 50paise per card. Saffron cards will be issued by the end of March.''