Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 6: Alleging large scale irregularities and scams in the functioning of CAPD Department, Harsh Dev Singh, JKNPP chairman and former Minister has urged upon the Government to strengthen and activate its monitoring and vigilance cells so as to plug leakages and loopholes in the Public Distribution System (PDS) in the State.
He said that ration pilferage had become a permanent sore with the prospective beneficiaries making regular complaints regarding non supply of authorized scale besides poor quality and sub standard ration. He regretted the disregard for the cries of the poor and marginalized sections comprising the BPL families with the corruption ridden department failing to take any cognizance thereof.
Accusing the CAPD Department of bias and prejudice in the process of revision of BPL lists, Singh said that the departmental functionaries were guided by extraneous considerations rather than the prescribed guidelines. He said that hundreds of complaints of violations of norms, neglect of bona-fide contenders and fraudulent inclusion of ineligible persons in BPL lists were paid a deaf ear by the concerned authorities for vested interests.
Singh called for a review of the BPL records so as to rectify the irregularities and to set right the tampered records. He cautioned to agitate the matter before the planning commission in case the fraudulent entries in the BPL records were not rectified.
Harsh Dev Singh further called for affixing the lists of BPLs as well as APLs on the notice boards of all ration depots and fair price shops including the ration received, the quality of ration, scale to be provided to each beneficiary and the rate charged. He further called for inspecting the weighing machines used by millers and depot owners which reportedly over weighed and cheated the ultimate beneficiaries. He called for strict mentoring of kerosene oil supply which was largely being sold in black in the market and to transporters.
He regretted that provisions of National Food Security Act (NFSA) which provided for nutritious meals to pregnant and lactating mothers besides children upto 14 years age as per prescribed nutritional standards and payment of Food Security Allowance in the event of non supply of food grains under the Act were not being implemented.
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