A large number of ration card holders in the State has not received rations in October either under the newly implemented national food security scheme or State food security scheme. In Dehradun, the plight of the people came to the fore when DM Ravinath Raman reached a village, Bhogpur a few days ago and stayed a night there to take stock of things. local residents complained that they have not received ration under the newly launched national food security scheme last month. Notably, the scheme started to be implemented in the State from October 1.
At a time when the prices of essential food commodities like pulses and oil are literally sky-rocketing as compared what was prevailing around two months ago, one may imagine the problem facing the below poverty line (BPl) people, who struggle hard to have two square meals a day.
The Centre and the State Government have launched National Food Security Scheme and State Food Security Scheme, respectively to provide subsidised foodgrains to the BPl families and others from the financially weaker sections of the society. But the fruits of such welfare schemes are eluding the needy owing to the departmental officers having failed to develop mechanism to take the subsidised food items to the intended beneficiaries.
At some PDS shops, the dealers are providing only wheat to the new ration card holders under NFS scheme, but rice remains out of bounds for the people. However, the plight of those who come under SFS scheme is worse as they are getting neither wheat nor rice from the PDS shops.
Uttaranchal Fair Price Dealers Association (UFPDA) president Jitendra Gupta said that most of the PDS dealers had procured wheat from godowns being distributed now to the NFS beneficiaries. But most of the dealers have not received rice from the RFC godowns, resulting in inadequate supply and erratic distribution.
However, as rice is being distributed from a few of the PDS shops those who are not getting them are holding the shop owners responsible, resulting in heated arguments and worse.
SS Thapa, Dehradun- based PDS dealer, said that they are in dire straits. “We are not getting the required quantity of wheat and rice from the godowns. So how can we provide two kg wheat and three kg rice per person under NFS schemeIJ But a section of the people is not ready to listen to our reasoning,” he said.
“For instance, this month, I got 37 quintal of rice from the godowns, but the actual weight of rice turned out to be around 36 quintal,” he added.
Dehradun food and civil supply officer PS Pangti said that inadequate supply of food grains to the godowns due to some reasons, resulting in beneficiaries not receiving their rations on time. “Things are now improving though,” he said.
The situation in around 10 mountainous districts of the State is grimmer as the PDS shopkeepers being on a protest mode in October under the banner of Uttaranchal Mountainous Fair Price Dealers’ Association (UFPDA) had landed the beneficiaries in misery.
They had not lifted food grains from the godowns in October, resulting in the beneficiaries remaining deprived of the subsidised ration.
Uttarakhand Mountainous Fair Price Dealers’ Association (UFPDA) joint secretary Dinesh Joshi said that they had recently met the Chief Minister Harish Rawat and put their demands that include foodgrains being weighed on electronic balance and increased commission, monthly salary and monthly rent being given of the shops.
He added they had started collecting food grains from the day one in November from the godowns after the CM had assured to address their demands.