Bhubaneswar/Cuttack, Dec. 31: The municipal corporation today ordered a probe into allegation of irregularities in the preparation of ration cards under the National Food Security Act.

Corporation commissioner Krishan Kumar said: "I have not received any complaint personally about any councillor's name figuring in the list. However, I came across some media reports. Deputy commissioner Sumant Mishra has been directed to inquire into these allegations and submit his report within three days."

Kumar said he had received informal complaints from around five persons about the bungling in ration card distribution.

In another development, instances of more public representatives figuring in the list of ration card beneficiaries are coming to the fore following Cuttack mayor Anita Behera's resignation over the issue on Tuesday.

The name of BJD MLA from Baliguda Rajiv Patra's wife has also appeared in the list. "I applied for deletion of her name a month ago, after I had come to know that her name was there in the list by mistake," he said.

Instances of several other elected public representatives across the state have started pouring in.

The names of Gop panchayat samiti chairperson Sabita Swain, her counter part in Khaira panchayat samiti Jayanti Mahala and vice-chairperson of the Keonjhar Municipality Jagannath Singh have also figured in the list. All of them said their names had been included by mistake and they applied for deletion of their names.

In Cuttack, official sources said so far 120 persons had applied for self-withdrawal of their names in the past 48 hours.

The Cuttack Municipal Corporation is now planning to take exemplary action against the councillors and other influential persons for concealing information to acquire a ration card.

The ration cards of 55 persons, including nine councillors and two former councillors, have been cancelled in the past 48 hours in Cuttack, official sources said today.

"We have sought the original application forms and the report of the desk review committee from the civil supplies officer. Appropriate steps will be taken against those found guilty," said municipal commissioner Gyana Das.

Das said FIRs would be lodged against the rich persons and those found ineligible according to the prescribed guidelines. "We have received applications from 120 persons for self withdrawal of their ration cards, and we will shortly send their applications to the district administration for necessary scrutiny," Das said.A civic body official said action had been taken against four persons, including the senior corporation officials, for dereliction in duty while conducting survey and issuing ration cards to ineligible persons.

"Today, we received a list of 28 persons suspected to be ineligible to get ration cards, which are being reviewed and steps will taken for their cancellation," said district civil supplies officer Amar Mohapatra.