Pandemic exposes chinks in PDS

CUTTACK: The Covid-19 pandemic seems to have exposed gross irregularities in public distribution system (PDS) in Cuttack district as 6,726 suspected ‘ghost’ beneficiaries did not avail their ration and lockdown assistance. 

These beneficiaries were lifting ration since implementation of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in November, 2015. But, neither did they lift their advance ration nor collect the financial assistance of `1000 sanctioned by the government in view of the pandemic. 

Though the district civil supply officials have already returned the undisbursed ration and financial assistance to the government, they are clueless about these beneficiaries selected under NFSA and State Food Security Scheme (SFSS).

Sources said 4,96,183 poor families have been availing the benefit of subsidised food grains under NFSA and SFSS in the district. In order to mitigate the lockdown effected misery of the poor families, the government had provided three months’ advance ration and `1,000 financial assistance for distribution among all PDS beneficiaries. 

“While 4,89,457 beneficiaries have availed the benefits, the rest did not turn up. As a result, we have returned the undisbursed ration and financial assistance amounting `67.26 lakh to the government along with submission of utilisation certificate,” said chief district civil supply officer Tushar Kant Deo. 

Similarly, the State government had provided ration for migrant returnees excluded from NFSA and SFSS. But the district administration has failed to disburse the same to all the migrants. Around 23,000 unskilled and semi-skilled migrant workers, who were stuck in other states after closure of their workplaces due to nationwide lockdown, had returned to their native places in district. 

Of the 14 blocks, BDOs of Badamba, Nischintakoili, Niali, Narasinghpur, Dampada and Tigiria blocks had sought ration from the administration for distribution among the returnees. But after failing to do so, the BDOs too have returned above 6,000 quintal of rice to the district civil supply office stating that while families of some returnees had already been availing the ration either under NFSA or SFSS, some others had returned to their workplaces.