Worried about less number of applications generated and coming up for redressal related to Right to Food, the Jharkhand State Food Commission (JSFC) has laid onus on Mukhias to pull up their socks. The village heads have been told to hold regular monthly meetings to listen to the complaints and refer those to higher up the order, if need be.
The step has come since the Commission, into existence for about last six months, realised that the District Grievance Redressal Officer (DGROs) are not much aware about nature and number of difficulties coming in the way of getting universal food grain coverage.
“We realised that DGROs are not getting correct and exact situation of complaints existing on ground. Then it was found that Mukhias who have been made chairman at grass root level do not hold meetings of the committee dealing with ration distribution mechanism. Now it has been conveyed to them to hold regular meetings and process applications generated at village level,” JSFC Chairperson Sudheer Prasad said.
The Commission feels that the generation of true applications at village level is the best inter linking mechanism in order to unfold universal food coverage target as directed by the Supreme Court and as per the mandate of the Right to Food Act. “Since actual problem lies at village level only, it was necessary to wake up them first and the foremost. If the complaints are not addressed there, the other three levels at block and district can look into it before forwarding to the Commission for final hearing,” added the Chairperson.
It is being learnt that that no substantive progress could be made so far in getting all roadblocks removed in the way of getting free flowing monthly ration to the beneficiaries along with other three major components the Commission is mandated to deal with.
Apart from the Public Distribution System, the mid-day meal scheme, Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS) and Pradhan Mantri Matritva Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) are the schemes have to be regulated and put under the lenses of the State Food Commissions for their proper monitoring and implementation as per the basic purposes behind constituting the Commission in every State.
Nevertheless, Jharkhand, which got its Commission after considerable delay, numbers of grievances generated are low apparently because only online system has been functional for the common people.
“We get numerous calls and letters about the issues involved in ration distribution from local levels. But the Department claims that there is no such pendency at their doorstep. It is because there is no proper system in place to permit other modes of complaint and only online system is there. It is very difficult for people at grass root level to lodge any complaint through internet,” said noted food activist Balram.
The Commission has also figured as talking points for the muscles that should have come to it post-incubation stage. It is learnt that office staffs and required facilities are yet to be in place fully which is adding woes to some other administrative issues involved.
“The Commission is not being given complaints citing those being less in numbers and it is said that the Department is handling of its own. Also, Chairman of the JSFC was a Chief Secretary rank officer and as per the rules, he has to get his leaves sanctioned from the head of the Food and Civil Supplies Department who is a Secretary,” said a Member of the Commission requesting anonymity.