Chhattisgarh’s Public Distribution System (PDS) received all round praises for becoming a unique example for the country at the meeting of Chief Ministers with the Prime Minister in New Delhi on Sunday, officials stated.
To discuss the proposed forum of effective communication between the Centre and States, in the second session of the meeting, the Chief Ministers, which have done good work, were asked to give a presentation on the subject.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh gave a detailed presentation, highlighting reforms carried out in each phase of PDS at the meeting. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chief Ministers, from many States appreciated the PDS of Chhattisgarh, officials stated.
Elaborating on the reforms carried out by the State Government, Singh said the government took the first step towards PDS reform by eliminating middlemen and putting an end to corruption. He said the government de-privatised all ration shops and handed it to self help groups, gram panchayats, van Suraksha Samitis and other community institutions for smooth functioning.
These institutions were provided with one month ration on credit and `75,000 as interest free capital to run these shops. The Government also raised the commission from `8 to `45 per quintal in order to make it a profitable. Ration shops were opened in each gram panchayat and arrangements were made to provide rations to cardholders on time. The Chief Minister said that in the second phase the government focused on bringing transparency in the system, involving public and making it an online system.
The government took various measures such as setting up call centres across the State. Information regarding collection and distribution of ration at ration shops were made available on the website. Rigorous monitoring was done involving creative uses of technology. For instance, a system of “SMS alerts” was launched to inform people of ration movements, and all records pertaining to supplies, sales, timelines, etc. were computerised.
Singh said in the third phase of reform, the Government targetted on strengthening the process of paddy procurement. An online system was introduced to ensure procurement of paddy.
Arrangement was made to purchase paddy directly from farmers and payment for the same to be made immediately in farmer’s bank account. Paddy procurement has reached approximately 80 lakh metric tonne last year from 5.87 metric tonne in 2001.
Today, Chhattisgarh has become the third contributor to Centre’s pool after Punjab and Andhra Pradesh. The Supreme Court has also praised our PDS system and asked other states to implement it.
Apart from foods, the government of Chhattisgarh is providing pulse, gram, sugar and iodized salt to beneficiaries to ensure not only food security but also nutrition security in the State, the Chief Minister said. About 90 per cent of the citizens domiciled in Chhattisgarh are now being provided with food and nutrition security, claim officials. They also claimed that Chhattisgarh is the first State to give ‘Right-to-Food’ to its people and make it into a law.
Apart from this, Chhattisgarh is a Model State in Public Distribution System (PDS), which is transparent and ration are provided on schedule. The Supreme Court has also lauded the Chhattisgarh’s PDS model and ordered other States to implement it, he stated.
This apart, landless labour families, small farmers upto five acres of land, unorganised labour like-barbers, shoe-makers, carpenters, washermen, rickshaw-pullers families, building construction labour-coolies and other menial workers, are included in the priority list under the Act.
Notably, the Central Government also passed National Food Security Act 2013, which was implemented in January 2014. As per the Centre, 78.43 per cent ( 2 crore) population is covered under the subsidised food scheme, but under Chhattisgarh Food Security Act 2.32 crore population are getting benefits.
The Chhattisgarh Public Distribution System under Antyodaya and Priority families schemes provides 35 kg food grains at Re 1 per kg. Since June 2014 single member category ration card-holders under destitute segment are provided 10 kg food grains free of cost.
The State government keeping in view nutrition security is providing -grams, pulses, sugar and Iodised salt. Antyodaya and Priority families get two kg salt free of cost, two kg grams at Rs 5 per kilo in Notified areas.
In non-Notified areas two kg pulses at the rate of Rs 10 and one kg sugar at Rs 13 are distributed. Under the Food and Nutrition Security Act, hostels, ashrams, anganwadis, are provided with subsidized food grains. About Rs 3844.32 crore is allocated in fiscal 2014-15 for the scheme.
About 11,077 fair price shops are currently in operation under the Public Distribution System in the State .The gram panchayats, co-operative committees and women’s groups are operating the fair price shops. About 2.60 lakh tonne food grains and 15,000 kilolitre kerosene oil are being distributed under the PDS.
The State is spending Rs 4,640 crore per year on the PDS scheme. ‘Meri Marji’ scheme was started in March 2012 in which consumers can buy rations from the shops of their choice under the Core PDS system. It is in operation in eight cities-Raipur, Durg, Rajnandgaon, Mahasamund,Raigarh, Ambikapur, Korba and Chirimiri in 565 fair price shops .
About Rs 1.75 crore is allocated in current fiscal 2014-15 to implement Core PDS in 290 fair price shops. The ration shop owners are answerable to the consumers under the scheme. Chhattisgarh Core Public distribution System not only won many national awards but also was hailed at the national-level.
Officials of Food, Civil Supply and Consumer Protection Department informed that 11,077 fair price shops are operating through various agencies across the Gram Panchayats of the State.
As many as 4131 shops out of these are being operated by Gram Panchayats, 4354 shops are operated by cooperative societies, 2405 shops are operated by Women Self Help Groups (SHGs), 151 by Forest Protection Committees and 36 shops are operated by urban development bodies.
Officials further informed that under PDS, about 2.24 lakh metric tonness of rice, 2,260 metric tonnes of wheat, 13, 723 tonnes of Amrit salt, 6,860 tonnes of sugar, 5,780 tonnes of grams, 7,934 tonnes of pulses and 15,000 kilolitre of kerosene oil is distributed every month.
Families of ‘Antyoday’ or ‘Preference’ category receive 35 kg of rice at the rate of Rs 1, 2 per kg, salt free of cost, one kg sugar at the rate of Rs 13.50/kg every month, while those in scheduled areas are provided supply of 2 kg Grams each at the rate of Rs 5/kg and in non-scheduled areas beneficiaries are provided 2 kg pulses at Rs 10.
Families of General Category are provided 15 kg of food grains (including rice at Rs 9.50 and wheat at Rs 7.50 per kg). likewise, beneficiaries are provided 2 litres of kerosene in urban areas, 4 litres in scheduled areas and 3 litres of kerosene in non-scheduled areas at the minimum rate of Rs 15 and maximum rate of Rs 17.20 per litre.
The seeding of a beneficiary in Chhattisgarh will also be done for Public Distribution System (PDS) and National Health Insurance Scheme at the time of registration for Aadhaar card. The information related to Smart Card and Ration Card would be entered in the computer at the time of registration for Aadhaar card in camps organised for the purpose.
With preparation of Aadhaar card, the details of the Smart Card and Ration Card would be linked with the Aadhaar number of the beneficiary, officials said. The Aadhaar card of more than 95 lakh people have been prepared in the State so far. To expedite the work, Chief Secretary Vivek Dhand has directed the officers to increase the number of teams involved in the work. He said that the secretaries of the gram panchayats could be recognized as verifiers for the work of Aadhaar card preparation.
For proper functioning of camps and maximum registration for Aadhaar card, he directed to take services of literacy motivators, employment assistants, employment secretaries and patwaris also.