PDS rice beneficiaries in Digboi asked to pay Ganesh Puja donation

OUR CORRESPONDENT

DIGBOI: A startling incident surfaced at Mamorani village under Digboi Food and Civil Supply jurisdiction involving an arbitrary imposition of Ganesh Puja donation on the PDS rice beneficiaries by an FPS agent on Tuesday afternoon.

According to allegations of a few beneficiaries and Adivasi student bodies of nearby Gopenari unit, fair price agent Mohesh Agarwala asked the beneficiaries to pay donation for Ganesh Puja prior to issuing the rice which they were entitled to.

The agent of the FPS bearing licence No. MRS/73/91/05/192/R, operating under Tingrai Samabai Samity, was reportedly involved in similar misconduct earlier also in cheating beneficiaries with a lesser quantity of rice. “I have received only 25 kilograms of rice on Tuesday in lieu of the 30 kilograms, which a 6 member-family is entitled to,” alleged an elderly tea garden worker of the village.

“Due to such practices, the supply department had also inspected the outlet earlier following persistent complaints from the residents,” informed a close neighbour of Agarwal.

If the allegations are to be believed, the concerned agent also charged Rs 300 from the beneficiaries for obtaining a ration card and Rs 1000 to get a duplicate one on losing the original.

Meanwhile, when inquired by The Sentinel to counter check the validity of the allegations on ground zero, Agarwal admitted his offence of collecting the donation using an outdated money receipt. At times when similar reports from across the sub division have been pouring in regarding the anomalies in distribution of three months quota of PDS rice , the onus is upon the supply department to be on actual ground to ensure free and fair distribution of the government benefits among the beneficiaries.

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