Dasmunsi urges PM to correct PDS in West Bengal

New Delhi, Oct 14 (UNI) Terming it a disaster, Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi today appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to help correct the prevailing Public Distribution System (PDS) in West Bengal.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Dasmunsi said real BPL families have to be identified while ration cards have to be distributed judiciously to all categories of people.

Materials have to be supplied in a transparent manner, he said.

''The entire PDS system of Bengal, where almost all the anti-poverty programmes are linked to food distribution plan of ration through PDS, is a disaster,'' Mr Dasmunsi said.

The situation in flood-hit areas of Hooghly, Howrah, Burdwan, Midnapore and Birbhum have been aggravated due to ineffective PDS system. He said the BPL list in the state is not in perfect order due to over politicisation.

Mr Dasmunsi also pointed out that the state government is yet to react to this alarming situation which has given rise to social unrest in the state.

A copy of the letter has also been sent to Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil.

UNI