BONGAIGAON, Sept 12 � As Public Distribution System (PDS) dealers in Bongaigaon have allegedly not been getting their full quota of rice, the beneficiaries are being deprived of receiving their due quantity.
However, as the Bongaigaon Food and Civil Supply office has not received any complaints pertaining to irregularities in supply of PDS rice either from dealers or from beneficiaries, it does not feel its accountability to look into the matter seriously which is clear from the views of its Superintendent.
It is alleged that despite having manpower, the department has not set up an effective monitoring system to check the pilferage and anomalies in the distribution of PDS items.
When contacted, several beneficiaries in both rural as well as urban areas of Bongaigaon district head quarters, showed their ration cards and complained that they were not getting their due quota of rice as per the cards.
Since the Food and Civil Supplies department has allegedly failed to address the problems of the beneficiaries, relating to anamolous distribution of items under PDS, the beneficiaries feel the need of a system which can redress their grievances in this regard in the district under e-governance which can entertain mobile phone messages to register complaints.
The Bongaigaon Wholsale Consumer Co-operative Society had lifted 3905 quintal, 55 kg rice for PDS last month, out of which 1673 quintal, 22kg, 55 gm rice was kept in a rented godown near the Aluminium factory in the town, while 842 quintals 131 gram were stored at the Assam Warehouse godown. The rice, for the month of August kept in the rented godowns has already been pilfered by smugglers, the deprived dealers alleged.
The dealers rued that neither the district administration nor the Food and Sivil Supply department had taken any initiative to inquire about the pilferage of rice meant for PDS on their own. �The department and the administration has not given us any assurance on the pilferage of any items of PDS�, said the dealers.
They urged the administration and the government to conduct a probe immediately into the pilferage of PDS rice in Bongaigaon district.
