Bhubaneswar, Jan. 13: Hundreds of people today lodged complaints with the state information commissioner, who has been designated as the food commissioner, for arbitrary deletion of their names from the ration card lists.

Being a statutory organisation under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the commissioner enjoys the power to direct the state government to include those whose names have been deleted.

State convener of Right to Food Campaign Pradip Pradhan said: "Influential people have been able to register their names in the list of beneficiaries of ration cards. But, the names of many people from the economically weaker sections, for whom the ration card is actually meant, have been deleted from the list."

Pradhan said that the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation had failed to address the issue. "As per the PDS Control Order, 2015, people's grievance should be redressed within a month. But, it has not been done. As the state is reeling from drought, the food security of these people has been endangered. These people may die of starvation," he said.

However, the state government has said that those whose names have been deleted inadvertently could approach the authorities for re-inclusion of their names.