JOIN USRice scheme irregularities: 40 fair price shops closed
The Food and Civil Supplies department has shut down 40 fair price shops across the State for failing to implement the ‘Anna Bhagya’ scheme in the prescribed form.
From collecting excess money from beneficiaries to not supplying the rice on time, the 40 shops were found guilty of violating the terms and conditions set by the department. The major complaint against these shops was that they were selling rice at more than Re one and fleecing the beneficiaries in the name of transportation costs.
In certain cases, it is said that shops have been irregular in providing rice to the beneficiaries by not lifting the food grains from godowns on time. In all, 12 districts have reported genuine complaints and action has been initiated by the department.
Alternative arrangements
Deputy Director in the Food and Civil Supplies department, M C Gangadhar, said alternative arrangements have been made for the beneficiaries by diverting the stocks to the next closest shop in each of these districts.
“In rural areas, where a village is located at quite a distance from the next shop, we have asked the shop owners to deliver the food grains at the doorsteps of the beneficiaries. We have asked the valid shop owners to set up a small room or shop in such villages,” he said.
Loopholes in PDS
While there is a serious lack of infrastructure facilities under the public distribution system (PDS ) to keep tabs on the fair price shop owners, the closure of 40 shops is said to be the first step in sending a strong message to those fleecing the beneficiaries, officials said.
From lack of manpower to pending reforms such as biometric systems in fair price shops to regulating the sale of food grains, the department is trying to plug the loopholes as fast as possible.
“As and when complaints come, we are addressing the issue. The deputy directors in each district are co-ordinating with the local police and are taking note of the offences. In some of the cases, criminal charges have been filed against the owners of the closed shops,” said Commissioner for Food and Civil Supplies, Harsh Gupta.
The maximum number of nine shops have been shut down in Chamarajnagar district followed by seven in Tumkur.
While no shops have been closed in Bangalore Urban, one has been shut down in Bangalore Rural.
As on August 19, rice has been supplied to 60 per cent of the shops for the current month. “We should be able to cover the rest of the shops in the next two to three days,” added Gupta.
Wheat procurement
The government is likely to finalise the procurement of wheat in the next two days to distribute it under the Anna Bhagya scheme. It is said that the department has already proposed the quantity of wheat to be procured from the Centre for distribution under the scheme. The total requirement of wheat for distribution under the scheme is 30,000 metric tonne (MT) per month.
It is said the quantity of rice will be slashed from 30 kg to 27 kg in south Karnataka districts to accommodate three kgs of wheat, while north Karnataka will receive 25 kg of rice and five kg of wheat at Re one a kg from September.
However, the distribution of jowar under the Anna Bhagya scheme may be postponed till October. Meant exclusively for the north Karnataka districts, it is said that jowar may have to be procured from Maharashtra.
“We have received demand for jowar from 13 districts of north Karnataka, where it is the staple diet. We are looking at providing five kg each of jowar and wheat and 20 kg of rice, once the same is approved by the government,” said Gupta.