Orissa High Court issues notice to government over PDS quota bungling 

CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has issued notice to the State Government on a PIL seeking a probe into the alleged misappropriation of advance quota and allowance sanctioned for ration card holders under the targeted public distribution system (PDS) in Jajpur’s Dharmasala block.

In wake of Covid-19 pandemic, the State Government had sanctioned PDS quota of beneficiaries for three months from April to June in advance along with allowance of Rs 1,000 for each of the ration card holders.

The petition alleged that PDS dealers in Dharmasala block had deprived a good number of ration card holders of their advance quota and allowance. 

The division bench of Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq and Justice SK Mishra issued the notice on Tuesday after hearing the petition filed by Sarbeswar Behura, a resident of Saroi under Dharmasala block, through video conferencing.

Advocates Mihir Sekhar Sahoo and Gopinath Sethy arguing the case for the petitioner pleaded for inquiry by an independent agency.

The bench fixed May 21 for hearing on the matter. Accordingly, the bench asked the Advocate General to file counter affidavit, if any by then. 

The bench also issued notice to the Centre (Secretary, Department of Food Supplies) and asked the Assistant Solicitor General to file counter affidavit if any.

The petitioner also cited Union Minister Pratap Chandra Sarangi’s letter to Jajpur Collector Ranjan Kumar Das on April 23 to inquire into the ration distribution system in the district.

Sarangi in his letter said large number of beneficiaries in 14 villages under Jajpur, Binjharpur and Dharmasala blocks had been suffering due to denial of PDS quota for months.