Jajpur: Amid growing complaints, the public distribution system (PDS) has been left in a mess due to alleged corruption by officials and black marketing of PDS items in Jajpur. On the other hand, thousands of complaints have remained unattended, a report said.
According to the report, it was alleged that kerosene sub-wholesalers have forged an unholy nexus with civil supplies inspectors at the block level and other officials, making the PDS system in disarray.
It is apparent from the fact that complaints of corruption and irregularities are found in large numbers on grievances redressal system portal of the department. Complaints in this regard have been growing at office of the 13 district civil supplies officers in the state.
It was learnt that 16,296 complaints are lying unattended by officials. Strangely, even though the Odisha state civil supplies corporation has been insisting that district civil supplies officers redress the complaints, nothing is being done in this regard.
It is alleged that every month, thousands of litres of kerosene from the PDS are being diverted and land in the open market in Jajpur and other districts, but the department has allegedly turned a blind eye to such illegal activities.
On the other hand, the black marketeers are taking advantage of such mess in the PDS. The kerosene siphoned off from this system is being adulterated with petrol and diesel at filing stations. The department is also allegedly blind to this adulteration.
A serious allegation is that some cards have been made in the name of ghost consumers. Kerosene is lifted through such forged cards.
In April, a number of ration cards made in the name of some poor and dead people were exposed in Dharmashala block. Rations worth lakhs of rupees have been misappropriated.
This issue had been taken up with the High Court. Following an HC directive, the matter was investigated while the BDO and the civil supplies inspectors were transferred. The administration action was confined to only transfers.
In the absence of stringent actions against the guilty official, irregularities continue to flourish in the district, it was alleged.
The Jajpur civil supplies department has not yet redressed 1869 complaints about irregularities. There are 1747 complaints pending with the district civil supplies office in Balasore; 590 complaints in Bhadrak; 602 in Bolangir; 2404 in Cuttack; 3420 in Ganjam; 441 in Jagatsinghpur; 506 in Kalahandi; 519 in Keonjhar; 1046 in Mayurbhanj; 1027 in Nayagarh; 1619 in Khurdha and 434 in Sambalpur.
General manager (PDS) of the state civil supplies corporation, Sudhakar Behera has directed 13 CSOs to take necessary steps for redressal of these complaints in the larger interest of the public.
PNN