Editor,
Lumshyiap is facing a severe crisis that demands immediate attention. For five months, families holding Below Poverty Line (BPL) cards under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Households (PHH) schemes have been cruelly deprived of their essential ration rice. Despite repeated pleas and meetings with officials, these families are still denied their fundamental right to food. This situation is not just a failure in service delivery but a serious breakdown in the trust and care for our community’s most vulnerable members.
The situation is made worse by the alarming and unexplained disappearance of large quantities of rice after being picked up from the Food Corporation of India (FCI) by the wholesaler. According to documents obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) request, we have concrete evidence of the quantities of rice picked up. Despite these substantial pickups, the rice has seemingly vanished. This is not merely an administrative oversight but a clear case of mismanagement and theft by the wholesaler, who is illegally diverting or hoarding ration rice intended for the most impoverished members of our community.
Community leaders, including the Dorbar Shnong Lumshyiap, have tirelessly urged the Deputy Commissioner (DC) to address this crisis. While some progress was made, distribution was eventually addressed and only three out of five months’ worth of backlog was cleared. The rice distributed to clear this backlog included one month of substandard rice, with over 50% broken grains—far exceeding the Grade A standard of 25% maximum broken rice. This not only compromises the dignity of the recipients but also undermines their nutritional needs.
According to the Right to Information (RTI) and the Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority, Department of Food and Public Distribution, Government of India, Grade A/Common rice should be distributed with a maximum of 25% broken grains. However, the rice distributed in Lumshyiap has contained more than 50% broken grains, which is far below the acceptable standard. This significant deviation not only undermines the nutritional quality of the rice but also highlights a serious failure in quality control.
The National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013 requires a joint inspection by the Lifting Officer of the Supply Department and the Quality Control Officer of FCI to ensure that high-quality rice is distributed. Reports from BPL card holders, however, indicate that this inspection is either not being carried out or is failing to ensure quality. The excessive broken pieces of rice and the overall poor quality suggest possible tampering and illegal substitution, raising serious questions about the integrity of the distribution system.
In an even more disturbing twist, the headman of Dorbar Shnong Lumshyiap revealed to Batesi News Channel that an inspector from the Food and Civil Supplies Department contacted him, pressuring him to withdraw the complaint. This sinister development suggests that some officials within the department may be complicit in these illegal activities. It is utterly unacceptable for a person entrusted with the welfare of the people to attempt to silence valid complaints. This raises grave concerns about corruption and collusion, and demands immediate scrutiny of the actions and motives of those involved.
The human cost of this crisis is profoundly disturbing. Many individuals affected by this crisis have shared their harrowing experiences. One single mother, struggling on a meagre income, expressed her inability to afford good quality rice. She described how, due to the lack of ration rice, she has had to turn to her neighbours for help. In a community where conscience and solidarity are high, neighbours have stepped in to provide aid. But what happens when neighbours are unable to help? Are families like hers left to face starvation because of bureaucratic mismanagement or illegal actions?
According to NFSA 2013, Chapter 3, Section 8, if the entitled quantities of foodgrains are not supplied, individuals are entitled to a food security allowance from the State Government. However, the people of Lumshyiap have not received this allowance over the last five months, forcing them to seek help from neighbours just to survive.
This crisis is about far more than delays and poor-quality distribution; it is about illegal activities, corruption, and a violation of the fundamental right to food security. For families in Lumshyiap, ration rice is a crucial lifeline that prevents hunger and sustains their dignity. The ongoing deprivation not only threatens their health but also erodes trust in a system that is meant to protect them.
As a person who belongs to a BPL family, it is my moral obligation to stand up for Lumshyiap’s BPL card holders. We must all demand immediate and decisive action. Officials need to launch a thorough and transparent investigation into the missing rice, the illegal activities of the wholesaler, and the unacceptable pressure on the headman to withdraw complaints. A complete overhaul of the distribution system and strict legal action against those involved in mismanagement and corruption is imperative to restore justice and integrity.
Yours etc.,
Khrawpyrkhat David Mynsong
Lumshyiap, Shillong
Identity of rape victim
Editor,
The recent incident of rape and murder of a resident doctor in Kolkata has shaken the nation. The incident has horrified the public and the details that are coming out from the post mortem report are gruesome and is something no human should go through. Ever since the news broke out, the victim has been trending across different social media platforms such as X, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. Her name, face and identity have been revealed and people with bona fide intentions are sharing about the victim. However, people are not aware of the fact that revealing the identity of a victim of serious crimes such as rape is prohibited under the law. Section 72 of the THE BHARATIYA NYAYA SANHITA, 2023 has stated that revealing the identity of victims of such crimes is a punishable offence where the punishment may extend to an imprisonment term of 2 years. The Supreme Court in this matter has also directed for removal of the name, images and videos of the victim from all social media platforms.
Many people have expressed their disappointment with this order of the Supreme Court, however one must understand that this law has been implemented specifically to safeguard the identity of the victim and their family members. The primary and secondary victims such as the parents and the eyewitnesses are the most affected and in the most vulnerable position, therefore their identity needs to be kept private. People must understand that such steps are taken not only to protect the victims but to also ensure that Justice in such cases is served. People therefore, need to be careful while sharing the identity of the Kolkata rape victim, even if they are sharing it with good intentions, as sharing such information may endanger the lives of other rape survivors and the people related to them.
Yours etc.,
Reakor Shisha Kharkrang,
Shillong – 9