Probe into PDS food grains : Panel finds UG-politician nexus
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 14 2014 :
Food grains which should be distributed to BPL families at subsidised rates are being shared between UG groups and politicians in Manipur, said Justice Wadha Committee constituted by the Supreme Court.
The committee after investigating into how PDS was being implemented in Manipur and how PDS items could be made available to targeted population in Manipur submitted a set of recommendations to the Supreme Court.
The report recommended that the Government of India should take up corrective measures on urgent basis as food grains given under PDS were being shared between UG elements and politicians.
PDS items which should be distributed to poorest of the poor were being shared between militant groups and local politicians.
As a result, the PDS items were readily available in the market.
According to the report, Government officials were taking advantage of the unholy nexus and blaming the security situation of Manipur for siphoning and diverting PDS items.
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Manipur is one of the many States where political intervention in PDS was evident.
PDS in Manipur was fully controlled by political entities and their associates.
PDS was implemented with undue powers given to MLAs and MPs.
In short, MLAs are the kingpins in the implementation of PDS in Manipur, says the report.
It recommended that all political entities and their interference should be kept away from implementation of PDS in Manipur.
It is the responsibility of the State Government to ensure that PDS items reach targeted beneficiaries.
The law and order situation should not be any deterrent in ensuring availability of PDS items to targeted beneficiaries.
In some cases, political entities and corrupted Government officials took the name of UG elements while siphoning and diverting PDS items.
Stringent actions should be initiated against such corrupt politicians and officials, the report recommended.
It further observed that 'end to end computerization' is the only means to correct all the wrongdoings and anomalies in implementation of PDS in Manipur.
The committee also submitted a comprehensive report to the Supreme Court on computerization of the implementation process of PDS in the State.
Some of the recommendations made by the committee for improvement of PDS in Manipur include selection of fair price shop agents based on merit and integrity, selection of fair price shop agents for each village rather than for each polling station, and opening of fair price shops based on the number of beneficiaries and distance between fair price shops and homes of the beneficiaries.
Hiring of a single transporter for a single route, creating mass awareness on corruption and preventive measures, activation of vigilance committees and holding regular meeting of the relevant State level committees were some other recommendations made by the committee.