Imphal, September 01 2010: The Gauhati High Court, Imphal Bench, in one of its interim order, directed government to allow AAY and BPL rice cardholders in Imphal east district to collect their monthly entitlements through a bank draft deposit by cardholders.

AAY and BPL cardholders should be allowed to collect their monthly entitlement from the District Supply Officers (DSOs) and Assistance Directors concerned by depositing costs of their monthly entitlement in the form of bank draft through the SBI on or before 15th of every month and collect their quota from the DSOs and ADs.

The court issued the order after a hearing to a writ petition filed one M Leima representing AAY and BPL cardholders of Imphal east district to the court praying for court intervention in directing the authority of the state government in allowing cardholders to collect their monthly quota under targeted food-grains, SK Oil, Sugar etc.

from the concerned authority on tendering price as per government order issued in July 2009 .

The court observed that as per office memorandum of the state government dated 9/7/2009, card holders of AAY and BPL are to deposit costs of their entitlements of AAY and BPL, rice to the DSOs or Assistant Director of the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department in the form of Bank Draft through the SBI on or before 15th of every month and collect their quota (AAY and BPL rice) from the office of the DSOs and Assistant Director if person concerned opted.

The court of Justice T NK Singh, in its interim order passed on September 27, asked the authority concerned to implement the same office memorandum and to allow collection of their entitlement until further order, reminding that the order would be effective only to the residents of Imphal east.

The interim order also granted liberty to the respondents (Government of Manipur) to file any application for modification of the interim order.

In the case, advocate N Sundrajit was the counsel of the petitioner while government advocate (GA) RS Reisang for the respondent.

Under the targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) for distribution of food-grains month-wise the quantity of food-grains and prices for each item fixed by the government of Manipur as 35 kg of rice per month to a AAY cardholder family at the rate of Rs 3.37 per Kg and 14 kg of sugar and four litre of SK oil at the subsidized rate fixed by the department (CAF &PD) and the same quantity of rice at Rs 8.32 per kg for BPL.

The government issued the BPL ration cards and AAY ration cards to each and every identified family for enabling the families concerned to get their monthly allocated food-grains for maintaining the life and livelihood of the poor people.

Since the beneficiaries are not getting their targeted amount of food-grains and other essential commodities, for time to time, many beneficiaries made complaints to make available the targeted quantity of rice, sugar, SK oil in full and also in the government approved rate.

Many complains and cases have been filed in the Consumer Court as well as before the High Court alleging the FPS agents and SK Oil Agents and SK Oil Sub-dealers have not issued the prescribed quantities of AAY and BPL rice and SK Oil to the ration cardholders.

Under these facts, state government had issued the office memorandum to depose the cost of their entitlement of AAY, BPL rice to the DSOs and assistant directors concerned in the form of Bank Draft through SBI on or before 15th of every month, government stated while issuing the office memorandum.

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