Kendrapara: Rations given under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) are being misappropriated by local dealers after duping beneficiaries. It was found here that subsidised food grain has been taken through the card of a deceased person and less rice is being given to beneficiaries.
The matter came out after the beneficiaries approached the Derabish BDO recently.
Sources said Sheikh Abdul Rashid, a resident of Baburampatana in Kusiapala GP, alleged that his octogenarian mother, Solema Bibi, who was an AAY (Antodaya Anna Yojana) beneficiary (ration card number-17021810072) died December 28, 2018 due to old age.
Rashid said he informed local ration dealer Bhaskar Chandra Nayak of Chanchunia about it. The dealer said they would not get subsidised rice under AAY as his mother had died, and asked him to dump the AAY card of his late mother.
But to his surprise a message came to his mobile phone January 21, 2019 that 35 kg subsidised rice was purchased using the card of his mother.
“The dealer Bhaskar Chandra Nayak took the AAY rice of my mother and duped us,” alleged Rashid.
Similarly, another poor woman, Sohana Bibi, of Baburampatna, alleged that to enrol her name in the AAY ration card, dealer Bhaskar Chandra Nayak had demanded Rs 10,000. Later, after negotiations the amount was settled at Rs 6,000.
The dealer is providing 20 kg rice under AAY to her. But recently she came to know that in 2015 December an AAY card was issued against her name. But she was unaware of it.
The dealer after obtaining her card (No: 1702181003) used to take the subsidised rice coming on her AAY card. When she asked to hand over her AAY card the dealer refused, Sohana said.
Another person, Sayed Taniuji Jahamuddin, of Baburampatana alleged that he recently came to know from the official website that a ration card had been issued to him, but till now he has not got the subsidised food grain. He has not yet got the card too. When he asked the dealer about this, the latter said he does not know anything regarding it.
“I have not got my ration card. I had a doubt that the ration card might have been taken away by the dealer, and he was taking the subsidised rice,” said Sayed Taniuji.
AAY cardholder Rubina Bibi, alleged that earlier she was getting 20 kg rice through her card, but when she came to know that the state government has been providing 35 kg rice to AAY cardholders she approached the dealer.
The dealer later provided 27.5 kg rice on her card. When she asked to provide the full quota of rice, the dealer threatened to delete her name from the list of beneficiaries.
Jamran Bibi too has been getting only 27.5 kg rice against the 35 kg rice allotted to her AAY card. Although she asked the dealer several times to provide the full quota of subsidised AAY rice, he refused to do so and threatened to delete their names from the AAY list.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are several beneficiaries who are have either not got ration cards or are not getting the full quota of subsidised food grain from dealers.
The beneficiaries approached the BDO of Derabish and the Supply Inspector of Derabish block and demanded action against the dealer.
Rabinath Behera, Supply Inspector, said he knew about the matter, and that he would conduct an inquiry and submit a report to the BDO and the Civil Supply Officer of Kendrapara.
Rajnikant Das, Civil Supply Officer, said the matter has not come to his notice.
He said he would send the District Special Squad to conduct an inquiry, and if the allegation against the dealer is established, then legal action under Section 7 of the Essential Commodity Act would be taken.
He said that when he joined in the district, subsidised food grain was being taken using the ration cards of 16,388 deceased persons. Of this, the cards of 12,153 deceased persons have been cancelled, the officer added.
PNN