Concerned about food grains under the Anna Bhagya scheme being diverted to the black market, the Food and Civil Supplies department has decided to invoke the stringent Prevention of Black Marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980, against the offenders.
A government order to this effect will be issued soon.
Responding to the Opposition’s charge that the scheme was not being implemented properly, Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies Dinesh Gundu Rao told the Council that the Act would enable the government to punish those black-marketing the food grains.
“The Act is far more stringent than the Goonda Act, which has been suggested by legislators,” he said. The Central Act, though in force but not implemented, states that the State government must set up a three-member advisory panel to judge whether a defendant is indeed guilty of the charges against him/her. The panel will comprise three retired High Court judges who are nominated by the Chief Justice of India. Rao said that the government had sought the formation of the panel, and the CJI had sent the list of names to be considered for the panel.
Under the Act, a person can be detained on the orders of the local deputy commissioner for 10 days without justifying any of the charges against him. The charges should be subsequently justified before the three-member panel which will decide the defendant’s fate. The panel can remand the defendant in judicial custody for six months, besides seizing the commodities sold.
If the government wishes, a criminal case can be filed against the defendant for further sentence or fine.
Rao also promised the Council that the department would weed out the bogus BPL cards and streamline the entire process in the next six months. There are roughly four crore citizens under the BPL category while the State’s population is over six crores, he said.
The minister said the government would consider the suggestion by the BJP MLCs G Madhusudan and others to deposit the subsidy amount into the individual bank accounts of the BPL families so that they can purchase the food grains under PDS. “We have begun, on a pilot basis, the Direct Benefit Transfer scheme to help people buy kerosene in three taluks. If successful, we can consider extending it to other commodities,” he said.
Substandard rice
BJP MLC R K Siddaramanna showed substandard rice which he said was being sold by a fair price depot under the scheme in Channagiri, Davangere district.
But Rao was quick to fire a volley of objections. “You must tell where such rice is being sold. Do not try to gain publicity by indulging in such acts. Did you complain to the department about the quality of rice? Are members allowed to bring such items to the House? Did the chairman permit it.”
But both the BJP and JD(S) members criticised Rao.