Guwahati: Assam government is likely to institute a probe into alleged irregularities in distribution of subsidized rice among tea garden workers as reports of over 10 lakh ghost beneficiaries receiving such benefit were brought to the government’s notice.
Minister of State for Tea Tribes Welfare Pallab Lochan Das said in the state Assembly here on Friday that the government had found several irregularities in the rice distribution procedure and was examining it.
He was responding to the matter of stopping distribution of subsidized rice among tea garden workers,raised in the House by the BJP legislator Terash Gowala during the Zero Hour.
The BJP MLA wanted to know about the government’s stand on the issue.
AGP MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita, who participated in the discussion, alleged that corruption was deep rooted in the subsidized rice distribution mechanism during previous Congress regime and asked theminister to act tough on it.
Kalita alleged that during the previous Congress regime. He said subsidized rice for nearly 19 lakh beneficiaries in tea gardens were allotted by the previous Congress state government for several yearsagainst registered tea garden workers numbering around 9 lakh in the state.
Kalita demanded anenquiry by a retired judge or the CBI into the matter.
The minister in-charge while admitting to anomalies, pointed out that subsidized rice meant for APL categories were diverted to tea garden owners for distribution among the workers at Re 0.50 per kg.
“After the National Food Security Act was implemented, allotment of APL rice was stopped by theCentral government.
It was not done by the BJP, but was done during the Congress tenure.
However, propaganda is being carried out that BJP government has stopped rice distribution to poor labourers,” he said.
The minister further said the tea gardens were violating provisions of the Plantation Labour Act, with not a single tea garden paying minimum wage to its workers, and added that legal action would be initiated against errant tea gardens.
Seized of the seriousness of the issue, Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami said, “This is a very serious matter. I request the Minister to do something. I reserve my ruling today and will announce it later.”
Accepting the demand for inquiry into the anomaly in distribution of subsidized rice among tea garden workers in-principle, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said he would discuss the issue with the Chief Minister and would inform the House accordingly.
