Show cause order issued, licenses of PDS agents, LPG dealers suspended

A Correspondent

Tezpur: Following complaints from a section of customers, the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department has issued show cause and suspended the trade licenses of PDS traders and LPG retailers of the district.

In an order dated April 19, 2020, Deputy Director, F&CS, BC Bordoloi has placed the PDS licence of Sitaram Chouhan, agent of M/S Rangajan S.S. Ltd under suspension for not having taken any permission to close his shop, violating the terms and condition of Licence Sl. No. 4, 8(2) and Clause 14 of the APDA Order, 1982.

In two separate orders, the Deputy Director, F&CS, has also suspended the PDS licence of Md. Zahid Hussain, agent of M/S Rangajan S.S. Ltd and of Lakhan Lal Sahu, a PDS agent of M/S Mahabhairab S.S. Ltd, for not issuing PDS/TPDS articles to the consumers properly and for not properly maintaining Stock and Price Board, violating the terms and condition of Licence Sl. No. 4, 14, and 18 and Clause 14 of the APDA Order, 1982 and Clause 5 of the PDS (Control) Order, 2001.

The Food and Civil Supplies department has tagged the ration cards of all consumers of Sitaram Chouhan with nearest agent Nira Sharma of M/S Rangajan S.S. Ltd for easy procurement of all PDS/TPDS articles. On the other hand, the ration cards of all consumers of Md Zahid Hussain have been tagged with nearest FPS agent Md. Ibrahim Ansari of M/S Rangajan S.S. Ltd while the ration cards of Lakhan Lal Sahu have been tagged with nearest FP shop M/S Panchmile BMSS of M/S M/S Mahabhairab S.S. Ltd.

Based on complaints received from various consumers and for violating the provisions of Clause 9 (C) of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (regulation of Supply and Distribution) Order 2000 as amended, read with the prohibited activities as laid down in Schedule 1 of the order, the F&CS department has temporarily directed M/S B.M Gas Service, LPG distributor and a dealer of IOCL located at Kamarchuburi, Tezpur to stop functioning after it was found that the distributor had failed to make home delivery of LPG refills and maintain stock of LPG cylinders causing great inconvenience to its customers. For convenience of the people, all consumers of M/S BM Gas Service have been temporarily tagged with M/S Tezpur Gas Agency, Main Road, Tezpur.

Moreover, all inspectors and sub-inspectors of the F&CS department have been directed to frequently visit all wholesalers and retailers in the areas under their jurisdiction and ensure that price list of all essential items are displayed in the shop premises and to take necessary legal action against any defaulting traders. They have also been directed to activate all existing vigilance and monitoring committees at GPSS/FP shop level to monitor the lifting and distribution of monthly allotted commodities as per government norms, and at the same time ensure social distancing and proper sanitization practices.

Additionally, all Block Development Officers have been directed to supervise all wholesalers and retailers dealing in grocery items in cooperation with PRI members so that they cannot charge more from the customers than the rate fixed by the district administration. In a raid carried out on Sunday, 45 LPG cylinders were seized from 2 No. Batamari area under Naduar Circle by Inspector, F&CS, Tezpur, Bikash Das.

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