CM for changes in PDS system

Calling the present mode of Public Distribution System (PDS) ineffective and inefficient, Chief Minister Raghubar Das today asked officials to make changes in the system after talking to the concerned Minister.

Das, while addressing district administrations through video conferencing during ‘Seedhi Baat’ Programme on Tuesday, also directed them to be more sensitive towards physically challenged persons considering it as their duty rather than doing favour to them.

“Change the system of PDS after talking to the Food and PDS Minister and make arrangements so that the subsidy amount is directly transferred to the accounts of beneficiaries, no matter they take ration from PDS shop or anywhere else,” said Das. There are also issues related to Nagri, which needs to be taken care of immediately, he added.

Das was reacting after a complainant from Hazaribagh tried to raise the issue of a PDS dealer distributing ration to only half of the card holders in Hazaribagh.

Seeking immediate action in another matter related to non-payment of MNREGA labourers of Lagia Panchayat in Chaibasa, despite the fact that allotment for the same had been withdrawn by the Mukhia and Panchayat Sevak, CM directed Chaibasa DC to remove them immediately after lodging FIR against the two.

“Immediately file FIR against Mukhiya and Panchayat Sevak. When it is clear that they have withdrawn the amount and have not paid it to the labourers, why are you waiting for their reply,” said the CM. After lodging FIR against them, also remove both of them charging them of financial irregularity, he added.

Hearing another complaint related to poor maintenance of sub-divisional library in Garhwa, the Chief Minister directed Garhwa DC Neha Arora to form a committee of locals for running the library and also arrange new and updated books for it.

Arora informed the DC that it was being developed as model Library in the State have books with bar codes in it very soon.

Later, addressing the DCs and SPs of all districts on the occasion of completion of three years of ‘Seedhi Baat’ Prgramme, CM said that said that the number of cases disposed of through this programme in the last three years indicates that trust of the State Administration among the people have also increased.

“Seedhi Baat will complete its third anniversary on May 1, during which a total of 6, 88,548 complaints were registered out of which 1, 55,000 people were benefitted directly through various schemes and programmes.

 It is also a medium of communication between the administration and the people which helps in bridging the gap between the two,” said the CM. Efforts must be made by the district administrations to dispose of the small issues at their level so that they do not reach here to the State level, he added.

“District administration should take special care of the issues related to physically handicapped persons by becoming more sensitive towards them considering it as their duties rather than doing any kind of favour to them,” said the CM.

Principal Secretary to CM Sunil Barnwal said that Chief Minister was present in all 35 meetings of Seedhi Baat Programme during which 630 people put their grievances directly appearing physically before the CM. Success rate of Seedhi Baat Programme during the last three years has been registered as 87.21 per cent.