Bhubaneswar, Aug. 25: Crackdown on government officials for violation of National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013 has forced many others to strike their name off the list of prospective public distribution system (PDS) beneficiaries.

Eight government employees in Ganjam were suspended today for flouting the NFSA guidelines. The Kendrapara collector also suspended four government employees, including a policeman.

Babaji Charan Mallick, an employee of irrigation department was in the queue today outside the office of civil supplies and consumer welfare here to get his wife Chhabilata's name deleted from the list.

"I did not know that if a government employee is not eligible for the benefit, then his spouse automatically becomes ineligible. Her entry was a mistake," said Babaji.

Giridhar Samal, an employee of the works department, said he got scared after he came to know that the government had taken action against people having made wrong entries in Ganjam, Rayagada and Kendrapara.

According to the NFSA guidelines, no government employee can come under the purview of the PDS.

"I was not aware that non-government officials are ineligible for PDS benefits if they possess cars, landline phone and pay income tax. When I came to know about it, I decided to remove my name from the list," said Dillip Swain, 40, a film director.

While the civil supplies department here has received 936 applications seeking deletions of names so far, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has received nearly 300 such pleas.