In the wake of mounting complains regarding flaws in the public distribution system, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Saryu Roy on Tuesday pushed for a more accountable delivery system with thrust on ironing out anomalies especially irregularities reported in ration card coverage and ordered distribution of the cards to deserving beneficiaries in one week.
While chairing a review meeting of the department on Tuesday at Project Building office, Roy instructed officials to “ensure distribution of newly generated ration cards within one week and make certain that ration and sugar for the month of October and November is distributed concurrently”.
The meeting was attended by senior officials of the department besides all district supply officers and their representatives.
Taking cognisance of reported discrepancies in incorporating deserving beneficiaries into grand database of the class, the Minister sternly remarked that “all discrepancies must be rectified within one month else strict actions would be taken against officials responsible for the fiasco”.
Indicating at the DSOs and assistant general managers of storage houses the Minister emphasised that names of those people and families who have been left out be collected and beneficiary cards must be made in their name soon after the culmination of Panchayat Elections in Jharkhand. Moreover, the meeting stressed upon identifying real beneficiaries and people roped in for distributing ration cards have been made accountable for recognising actual beneficiary at the time of delivering the cards.
If an undeserving person gets card then both the person collecting the card and the one who has distributed the card will be accountable for it, said Roy as he also expressed surprise on reports of the cards meant for poor making its way to Member of Parliament, Member of legislative Assembly, government official or people working for a private company.
He said, “If cards have been generated for those people then it must not be distributed” and warned, “people who deserve card are legally eligible for obtaining ration. And if a card holder proves that he did not get ration despite possessing a valid card then Government is liable to pay compensation equivalent to the value of the ration and concerned block supply officer, marketing officer and fair price shop owner will be accountable for it”. Roy also cleared that list of Antyodaya and Priority Household would be re-examined after distribution of the ration cards.
The Minister said that negligence in selecting vehicle for door-step deliver of ration, painting it with yellow colour for identification and installing global positioning system would not be tolerated. Roy expressed concern in the prevailing state of affairs in Sahibganj and ordered action against culprits for not identifying vehicles for door-step delivery and employing other means to transfer ration to dealer from storage houses.
The review meeting also focussed on running dal-bhat centres in night as setting up additional centres were also put for the consideration.