Orissa High Court asks Jajpur Collector to probe PDS irregularity

CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has asked the Jajpur Collector to conduct an inquiry into the allegations of denial of food grains under food security measures taken up by the State Government in view of the Covid-19 pandemic to beneficiaries in Dharmasala block.

Social activist Sarbeswar Behura had filed a PIL seeking a probe by an independent agency into the alleged misappropriation of advance quota and allowance sanctioned for ration card holders under the targeted public distribution system. The Court issued the order for inquiry after considering the allegations in the PIL, the counter affidavit filed by the Government and the petitioner’s rejoinder to it. 

The Court disposed off the PIL on August 3, but the order was available on the website on Saturday. In the order, the division bench of Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq and Justice KR Mohapatra asked the Collector to probe into the allegations through Dharmasala tehsildar within six weeks.

The Government had sanctioned advance PDS quota for three months from April to June and allowance of Rs 1000 to each of the beneficiaries against their ration card in view of the pandemic situation. According to the order, petitioner counsel Prasanna Kumar Parhi submitted that several beneficiaries of the block are deprived of the food security measures as the guidelines for distribution of PDS articles as well as allowance of Rs 1,000 to the beneficiaries are not followed properly. 

In a counter affidavit to it, Dharmasala BDO submitted that advance three months’ rice and allowance of Rs 1,000 were provided to 45,259 families and free rice has been provided to 46,219 families by the Government in his block. In the block, 45,259 families have been enrolled under the NFSA and State Food Security Scheme. Steps are being taken to include the left out families in the State scheme, the affidavit stated. In a rejoinder to it, Parhi submitted that the information given in the counter affidavit are false and truth can be unveiled by making a detailed enquiry.