TURA: A magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the alleged siphoning of Public Distribution System food products meant for beneficiaries in the plain belt region of West Garo Hills Dadenggre civil sub-division.
The order for a probe into anomalies was ordered by Dadenggre Civil Sub Divisional officer Swapnil Tembe after a public meeting held on Tuesday at Kazi and Zaman College in New Bhaitbari in which over a thousand poor beneficiaries who depend on the PDS distribution apprised officers about the anomalies and how they were getting a meagre amount of food grains from the government alloted rations.
The public hearing comes after the All Meghalaya Minority Students Union (AMMSU) raised the issue and petitioned the government to inquire into the matter.
“We do monitor allotment withdrawals by the wholeseller but it is difficult to keep an eye on all dealers in the entire Dadenggre sub division area. Whenever there are cases of misappropriation, the complaint should be immediate. We will initiate action once the probe is completed,” said SDO (Civil) Tembe.
The issue of beneficiaries not getting PDS items from dealers was alleged to be rampant in Shidakandi, Bowabari, Kandargaon, Morasuti, Phershakandi, New Bhaitbari and Garodubi villages.
The AMMSU had accused dealers of holding back the PDS rations supply to beneficiaries allegedly to sell them in the black market.
Shockingly, none of the accused dealers or suppliers attended the public meeting even as a large number of beneficiaries aired their grievances before the officials levelling charges of cheating, false signing of beneficiary cards and even threats on them by the accused dealers.
“We were threatened with cancellation of our ration cards and even warned of physical harm,” complained some of the beneficiaries during the public hearing.
Others spoke of how they received less than 6 months of rice and sugar in an entire year.
“Our dealers use to claim there is no allotment and they would give us rice and sugar only during the months leading up to celebration of Eid and nothing after that,” alleged many beneficiaries as the chorus grew for Steen action against the unscrupulous dealers whose licenses they demanded be cancelled.
Hailing the decision for a probe, the AMMSU expressed optimism that justice will be given to the beneficiaries.
“Whosoever is involved in the misappropriation, be it the wholesaler or the PDS dealer, action must be taken and the victims given justice,” said AMMSU president Nur Islam in a statement to the media shortly after completion of the public meeting.