Distribution of food security card: Barak anti-corruption body cries foul

Special correspondent

Silchar, Feb 11: Barak Anti Corruption Organization (BACO) central committee based here in a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister through the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar today has demanded immediate measures to include the me of beneficiaries under tiol Food Security Act (NFSA), omitted without any basis. The genuine beneficiaries have the legal and constitutiol rights to press for inquiry against all officials concerned and dealers for committing malpractices and corruptions in a scheme that involves the poor and under privileged. The gross anomalies, the Organization cautions, should be corrected within 15 days.

 The memorandum states that the authorities concerned are well aware of the list of beneficiaries in all the 163 GPs and municipality areas of the district. In respect of the flagrant violations of the rules of NFSA 2013, various organizations including BACO have brought it to the notice of the authorities and the Chief Minister of Assam for proper investigation. It has also been demanded that a fair list of beneficiaries including those genuine and deserving excluded should be prepared. It has also demanded omission of the mes of undeserving persons including government employees, pensioners and others with sound economic background.

 Food Security Cards in the district of Cachar have already been distributed without following the government guidelines. Confusion has been created rather deliberately to distribute the cards to beneficiaries after collecting from them all types of ration cards as well as the BPL cards. For this the beneficiaries belonging to BPL category have to suffer. Quite strangely, in more than 80% food security cards in every GP, the population has been shown less than the actual population. Equally surprising, the mes of many beneficiaries have been missing from the lists although they have submitted applications observing all formalities.

 BACO has also raised its accusing finger at most of the cooperative agents of the district for charging more than prescribed rate against per kg rice from the beneficiaries. Moreover, the beneficiaries are also being cheated by supplying to them less quantity of ration. Higher authorities of the department concerned have been time and again apprised of it, but without any result. It has allowed corrupt and the corruption to grow as there is no monitoring or vigilance on the gravity of the irregularities and anomalies.

 The harassed and deprived beneficiaries under the banner of Barak Anti Corruption Organization after gathering in the rsingtola ground marched down through the main thoroughfares of the town with banners and posters, raising slogans against the rampant corruptions and malpractices in the implementation of Food Security Cards. Later on, after holding a rally addressed by the organizers before the administrative headquarters, they submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner addressed to the Chief Minister of Assam today. They have demanded correction and update of the lists of beneficiaries in a proper manner, besides removing the higher officials known to be involved in corrupt practices.