Residents of Jharkhand’s Chatra district claimed that 5 to 10 Kg of ration from a fixed quota for the poor has been reduced.

The victims approached the sub-divisional officer Sudhir Kumar Das when they came to know that their ration quota had shrunk.

SDO, while seeking an explanation from 24 dealers suspended their licenses.

“Grain, from the fixed quota, is being deducted by the dealers, citing the government spending on the Chandrayaan-3 mission,” said a chief Panchayat leader of a village facing ration-cutting issues.

Ravindra Singh a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party claimed that beneficiaries initially accepted the ration deduction but they became angry when they were informed about the reason behind it.

Singh said they would stage a protest if the administration expressed hesitation in taking action against them.

A delegation from the Communist Party of India (CPI) also met a senior district official and demanded action against the ration dealers.

When asked about the alleged irregularities, the dealers denied any deduction in the supply of ration.