The licences of 10 fair price shops under the public distribution system (PDS) were suspended on Tuesday for alleged misappropriation of food grains distribution amid the lockdown in place for the coronavirus outbreak,

Explanation has been asked from 20 PDS vendors while license of 10 PDS vendors have been canceled, informed Sadat Anwar, District Supply Officer.

“FIR has been lodged against two PDS vendors (Kerosene oil) too under the Goods Act,” he added.

Stern action would be taken against those shopkeepers who indulged in irregularities in the distribution of food grains in the current Coronavirus crisis, he said.

The DSO said the licences were suspended under B S City police station are Devamuni Singh license number 117/85, Azad Nagar, Chandmuni Devi license No. 01/07 Jhopri Colony, Vishnath Ram LN 14/95 Kurmidih, Shail Devi LN 11 / 03, Sector-12 / E, Mumtaz Hasan Khan, LN 08/2000, Colonel Market, Gautam Kumar, LN 25/92 Mahur Basti, Urmila Mahila Mandal license number 74/09 Narkera.

While under Chas block Durga self-help groups license number is 89/09 of Kurra, Nari Chetna self-help group LN 41/09 in Labudih and under Petarwar block Bajrang Women self-help group license number is 24/12 Kunarbeda has been suspended, said DSO.

He said the dishonest PDS dealers lack conscience even in this most critical time of food crisis. “They are selling government food grains in black to dupe ration card holders. They are making false ration entries even for months in which no ration has been given,” he added.

 “Their offences are unpardonable. They have committed crimes against hungry people by stealing ration for petty gains,” said DSO.

Notably, to help people tide over the lockdown, the Jharkhand government had announced double ration ie 70 kg rice for card holders and 10 kg of rice to 7 lakh people whose application for ration cards are pending.

According to the report, “Almost a month into the lockdown that began on March 25, 865 PDS dealers find themselves in the dock in Jharkhand; 297 have had their licences suspended, nine have had their dealerships cancelled, 524 have been issued show-cause notices, and 44 face FIRs.

The numbers are going up daily in the state which has 25,445 PDS dealers for 2.63 crore families, it said.