Women’s organisation to demand CBI probe into PDS anomalies
SHILLONG: Alleging large-scale manipulation in the BPL list of the State, the Civil Society Women’s Organization (CSWO) on Monday said that the group would demand CBI probe into the irregularities in the BPL list and the supply of PDS items to the BPL families.
Addressing a press conference here in the city on Monday, CSWO issued a one-month deadline to the State Government to remove the names of rich persons from the BPL list.
Stating that nine families of Upper Klew village in Ri Bhoi district were denied ration cards and the right to food under the PDS for the past 13 years despite their names being listed in the 2002 BPL list, CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing alleged that there are many more who are aware that their names are included in the BPL list but are being deprived of their actual quota. They do not dare to come forward due to fear of repercussion from the headman of Klew village Pholning Makdoh, who is now the Sordar of the village.
According to Kharshiing, the nine families were only recently given 10 kg of rice per household after a complaint to NHRC and the ration was provided from a dealer of a neighbouring village of Thadrang.
She, however, said as per the quota allotment each household was supposed to get 35 kg of rice per month.
Some of the villagers, who were present during the news conference, alleged that they were deprived of PDS on the instructions of the Sordar, for reasons unknown to them.
On the PDS irregularities, Kharshiing said there are huge discrepancies in the BPL list as per the 2012 Census provided by the State Community & Rural Department. “Apart from being deprived of ration card, the list even have the names of people who have already expired and several wrong names besides names of rich families,” she said.
“There seems to be a serious crime perpetrated against the poor in the entire State. This could be the reason the government is intentionally delaying in providing ration cards to all beneficiaries under BPL, AAY and APL,” she told reporters.
She also demanded that the government should seize the illegal ration cards and remove the names of the rich families from the BPL list or face the contempt of court as this is a violation of the right to food of the deserving poor of the State.
The CSWO also demanded immediate action by removing the names of erring traditional heads by the Autonomous District Council authority.
“Such heads should be removed from their post as they abuse their powers, insert names of the rich and deprived innocent villagers of most of the Central schemes,” she said.
Kharshiing also informed that CSWO will soon hold a public rally to garner support against such irregularities, and a complaint in this regard has also been lodged with the Principal Secretary of Food and Civil Supply department.