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WRITTEN REPRESENTATION TO THE INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE HEADED BY JUSTICE D. P. WADHWA IN THE MASS-HEARING REGARDING PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM IN INDIA ON 29.10.2010 AT KALYANI, NADIA

  

Respected Sir,

  

It has been observed that the PDS system in the Country through the Fair Price Shops is not meeting up the necessity of the common people due some of its lacunas which in our opinion are:

 

         1)      Huge nos. of beneficiaries have been tagged with a single shop;

2)      The FPSs are not so spacious  and people are to wait for a long time in the queue;

3)      The supplied commodities are extremely sub-standard and in some cases it is beyond to consume;

4)      Quality Control System does not at all exist and if exists, it is in the paper;

5)      In rural areas the distance of shops are too long;

6)      Price of commodities are being charged beyond the specified rate;

7)      Non-existence of Shop Level beneficiaries committee;

8)      Corruptions.

  

It, is, therefore, suggested that -

 

a)      The allocation of Fair Price Shops are to be spread in such a manner that maximum 3000  units/heads of beneficiaries may be entangled with one  shop;

b)      Measurement of shop areas and facilities of customers should have been fixed in consumer friendly ways;

c)      Regular stocks and rates of commodities for various sections of consumers should be displayed in the most prominent place of the shop;

d)     Ensure of quality control in every sphere of supplying channels such as Sub-division/FCI Go down level, Block/Distributor Level and Shop Level;

e)      In the quality control system representatives of recognized consumers organizations may be accommodated;

f)       In shop level committees at least 4 persons from amongst the beneficiaries (from various sections e.g., consumer activist,  member of any NGO, female beneficiary, school teacher, social worker etc.) may be accommodated for proper investigation of whole matters;

g)      Holding of joint meetings of Govt. establishments, Distributors/Dealers representatives and Consumers Organizations/representatives etc. in regular way to evaluate the whole system.

h)      Strengthening the vigilance system by any neutral agency;

i)        It should be ascertained that the dealers may not charge beyond the declared price for commodities. It is being observed that at present all dealers are charging extra amount beyond the specified rate in the form of carrying cost or other incidental costs;

j)        Enhancement of commissions of Dealers to such a level that a family of average 4 to 5 persons may maintain their livelihood properly. (At present the commission system is so miserable that the dealers openly pleading for their corruptions and no one can ignore it);

k)      At present specially in West Bengal the Fair Price Shops are opening in the weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning) only. This system should be changed and the shops are to be open throughout the week like other shops and establishments. Thus the people may purchase their commodities at any time as per their convenience like other things.

l)        Selling of other promotional commodities like bathing soap, detergent powder, edible oil etc.        may be restricted and it should prominently be displayed that purchase of such commodities are exclusively optional.

  

It is also being observed that in spite of adequate good intension of the Central Government the Targeted Public Distribution System is not running properly. The causes of failure in our sense are –

  

1)      Red-tape strangle of bureaucracy;

2)      Inadequate propaganda amongst the targeted group specially to the poorest of the poor of interior areas;

3)      Illiteracy amongst the targeted group;

4)      Financial inability of targeted people and

5)      Huge corruptions of a section of dealers and officials  

 We, therefore, to comment

  

a)      The system of selecting the targeted group is unscientific. At present the people in power of the local governments are the sole authority to select such group. In most of the areas they are selecting the beneficiaries in politically biased method. By such way of action the theme of the Project are gone in vain as the originally deserved people could not get the facilities. We therefore propose to change of method in an appropriate way for selecting targeted people. As for example such people may be selected jointly by the wining candidate of ward of the local govt., 2nd highest scored candidate of the said election, Representative of recognized VCO/NGO of the Block/Municipality etc.

b)      The present poverty alleviation schemes of the Union Govt. are not so well known by the targeted people specially in the remote and rural areas where most of the poorest of poor people resides. To overcome such inconvenience intensive propaganda may be done throughout the year. A decision may be taken that in the most poverty prone areas all people will come under the purview  of the project  by giving a simply declaration (with the help of govt. officials) that they are in below poverty line.

c)      The Union Govt. has already started “Sarbasiksha Mission” to make ‘signature literate’ of all the people. In this case also the people of ‘powers in politics’ are delaying the process by means of havoc corruptions. It is therefore, suggested to evaluate the system of operations and make it full proof.

d)      Financial inabilities of the poorest of the poor are known to all. In the Forest areas of the West Bengal poorest people are living by eating eggs of ant. Purchase of wheat and rice at the cost of 2/3 rupees are sometime fill as dream to them. So buying capacity of such people should be increased in appropriate manner. The progress of ‘100 days work’ in West Bengal is in the bottom line of all India scenario. Governments should take care of it.

e)       At last but not the least (probably it is the main cause) the cancer like disease of corruptions in all spheres of distribution are trailing behind the nation in all respect. We don’t know how and when we will enter into a corruption free society. But checks and vigilances should continue by means of new method to kill it. At the present we may recommend to constitute vigilance committees in all the levels from shop to district by inducting the representatives of VCOs and reputed NGOs .