PIL filed against non distribution of NFSA rice
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 28 2017: The next hearing of the writ petition (PIL) number 20 of 2017 filed before the High Court of Manipur, in connection with the alleged deprivation of monthly entitlement of receivable food grains under National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 for Lilong A/C, has been fixed on November 6, this year .

This was informed by the said PIL's petitioner, Md Abdul Zabar, who is also the chief advisor of National Food Security Act (NFSA) Development Coordinating Committee, Lilong, Thoubal district, during a press meet held today at Manipur Press Club .

He conveyed that two hearings of the PIL have been held in the High Court of Manipur in the past and claimed that he and his organization are ready for the next hearing which falls on November 6 .

The PIL was filed before the High Court of Manipur, praying for directing the State of Manipur, represented by the Commissioner/Secretary, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of Manipur (respondent number 1) to distribute the entitled food grains meant for AAY ration card holders and PHH card holders in Manipur, particularly the card holders of Lilong A/C .

It also prayed for directing the respondent number 1 to strictly implement various schemes under NFSA, 2013 in the entire State so that the right to receive food grains at subsidized prices by people belonging to eligible households of Manipur under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) is safeguarded, fulfilled and protected by the State authority, Zabar asserted .

He went on to say that the PIL even prayed for directing the respondents number 1 and District Supply Officer (respondent number 2) to conduct an enquiry at Lilong A/C and find out the cause for failure to distribute the entitled receivable food grains to the eligible card holders for the months of September, October, December of 2016 and January, February, March of 2017 and to place a detailed report before the Court within a month .

Confiding that the enquiry prayed to conduct has been done as per the directive of the Court and reports of the enquiry from respondents number 1 and 2 have been received, the chief advisor alleged that according to the report, the entitled food grains were not distributed for three months of 2016 and three months of 2017 to the AAY and PHH card holders of Lilong A/C .

He further said that informations have been also obtained through RTI applications about the allocated food grains i.e.rice for Lilong A/C and from it, the organisation came to know that the allocation are 400.05 quintals and 1835.85 quintals for AAY card holders and PHH card holders respectively .

The required permits for delivery of rice to the FPS Agents (respondents 3 to 7) in respect of Lilong A/C with effect from September 2016 to March 2017 are made from the OSD rice Dte HQ Sangaiprou and the name of the Transport Contractor is Takhellambam Inaocha Singh (Manager, Yaiphaba Agency, Thangal Bazar) and the FPS agents' list was also obtained, as provided by the respondent number 2 in its letter dated 25-5-2017, he added .

Stating that the distribution mechanism adopted in all the Assembly Constituencies of Manipur is not appropriate, Zabar continued that the respective MLAs of the constituencies controlled the Fair Price Shop (FPS) by designating their men as "Nominee" who in turn collect money from the FPS agents .

The food grains are lifted from the State authority/respondent number 2 for handing over to the respective FPS agents of the A/Cs concerned through the nominees .

However, the nominees are never recorded on official papers.

The lifted food grains fail to reach the card holders under the TPDS because of these loopholes, he explained .

Reminding that NFSA has become a right to its eligible beneficiaries to get entitled food grains at highly subsidized rate, Zabar said that the PIL simply seeks for the proper implementation and realization of the objects and goals of NFSA, 2013, in the State while expressing hope that the State Government led by Chief Minister N Biren Singh will do the needful in this regard.

Comment