Continued FCI neglect dries up PDS

Itanagar,Jan 21: While the complaints about non-availability of public distribution system (PDS) items have become a common phenomenon in Arunachal Pradesh having found its echo even in the state assembly, prompting Civil Supplies Minister C C Singpho to direct the secretary and director of the department to monitor the entire mechanism, there seems to be no solution in sight to the chronic problem.

The minister's directive had come in response to MLA Rev. T G Rimpoche information about the non-supply of food grains in Lumla and Zemithang circles of Tawang district for over six months forcing the poor people to buy 50 kg of rice for Rs. 800 from neighbouring Bhutan.

While the complaint about siphoning of essential commodities as alleged in the Assembly was under investigation, non-availability of rice and wheat in the Food Corporation of India (FCI) godowns last month had deprived the consumers of their quotas.

Non-availability of essential commodities in depots was in total violation of New Delhi's directive to FCI to maintain stock for at least three months, especially considering the difficult terrain, communication hazards and peculiar weather condition of this hilly state.

When contacted, civil supplies director Bolung Siram disclosed that the district nominees of Arunachal Pradesh could not draw their allotted quotas for last month even after advance payment due to non-availability of rice and wheat under the targeted public distribution system for want of stock at Banderdewa, North Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Tezpur and Dibrugarh FCI godowns in Asom.

Therefore, the request for diversion orders for drawal from nearby depots had yielded no result, he clarified.

Considering the hardship caused, the director had sent a crush message to joint secretary (policy), union ministry of consumer affairs, food&public distribution to extend validity period for lifting of un-lifted quotas to avoid lapse and scarcity.

The population-based monthly allocation of food grains in quintals under APL (above poverty level), BPL (below poverty level) and AAY (Annapurna Antodaya Yojana) for this month given on January nine last with validity up to January 31.

Though the government has again allocated additional 3,000 quintals of APL wheat on Jan. 12 last for this month, the scarcity of wheat continued, even in the Capital Complex for the lackadaisical attitude of FCI in replenishing its stock position. The district-wise allocation is- Tawang-350, West Kameng-100, E.

Kameng-100, Papum Pare-100, Kurung Kumey-350, Upper Subansiri-350, West Siang-100, East Siang-400, Upper Siang-400, Lower Dibang Valley-100, Changlang-350 and Tirap-300.

The sugar price has sky rocketed in the market for its non-availability in the FPSs selling it at a reasonable price of around Rs. 16 per kg. It is learnt that many district nominees could not lift their sugar quotas since November last due to non-availability of stock at various FCI depots, including North Lakhimpur and Narayanpur in Asom.

Expressing strong resentment over the dried up PDS because of the continued neglect of the central organization, consumers have appealed to the authorities concerned to take up the matter for expeditious stocking at FCI depots.

UNI