SHILLONG: The state government has warned action against fair price shops flouting rules and denying ration to card holders.
The response was following a report by The Shillong Times on Friday that several non-tribal residents of two blocks of Madanrting did not get ration because their voter cards were not from the state. In fact, they were not getting ration for over five years now.
“Voters’ card has no direct co-relation with NFSA (National Food Security Act) and non-NFSA distribution and insistence on it and denial of entitled ration to beneficiary on that basis alone is a malpractice and strict action will be taken against fair price shops flouting rules, the Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department has made it clear.
In a notification dated April 24 and addressed to the deputy commissioners of all districts, Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs director Pravin Bakshi said, “As per entitlement ration card holders should get their allocation under NFSA (AAY+PHH), Non NFSA and PMGKAY (NFSA).”
“The NFSA beneficiaries are identified on the basis of SECC (socio-economic caste census) data and ration cards are not domicile or PRC documents and any denial to genuine beneficiaries will be violative (sic) of the NFSA which is an Act passed by the Union Parliament and state legislatures,” the notification said.
Despite the order, essential commodities like rice and pulses were unavailable to many residents of Madanrting on Friday.
Sources said about 20 individuals did not get the stipulated ration because their voter cards were from other places. However, these residents have ration cards with the current address on it.
When asked which fair price shop denied ration, a source said it belonged to Valvifera Dhar. “They were shooed away,” she added.
When Dhar was contacted earlier, she had said the stock of goods was over so many people were asked to come back the next day. But the next day was also disappointing.
When the plight of the people was highlighted, Bakshi said on Saturday, “I have given very strict instructions (on distribution of essentials to all). Accountability would be fixed if ration is not provided on the next day of opening.”
Friday’s notification also pointed out that those beneficiaries whose names are on the digitised list but have not got their ration cards are also entitled to the monthly allocation.
