EMN
Dimapur, May 2
The popular anti-graft organization Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) has expressed surprise that a predominantly rice-consuming population like Nagaland apparently gets more wheat and flour than what she should be given. And the wheat and flour are not found in Fair Price Shops, it said.
Also, there seem be visible anomalies in sugar and kerosene supply, a recent dig by the ACAUT states to have unearthed. The organization issued a press release offering details to back up the charges.
Throwing fresh questions on the state of Food & Civil Supplies and the Public Distribution System, the ACAUT issued data showing the number of beneficiaries and the amount or rice, wheat and flour that Nagaland receives as a central allocation (see graph).
The ACAUT stated: “The facts and figures above tells of a rampant and systematic abuse in F&CS department in the state of Nagaland, no wonder it’s the most favored portfolio among the successive elected representatives. It is amply clear that Nagaland receives more than the share required by the actual population and further compounded by our inflated census.”
The organization called it a “surprise” that for a ‘rice eating state’ of Nagaland 30% of food grain allocation is wheat and ‘atta’ (flour)
“…since wheat and atta are not staple diet of Nagas it is not distributed or allocated to the fair price shops, ACAUT Nagaland survey has shown that none of the fair price shops receives wheat and atta and so the question arise as to what happens to these commodity (worth crores) or more importantly who takes it?”
This, the ACAUT said, indicates a clear case of misappropriation at the government level in terms of crores, per month, which the public is entitled to know.
Secondly, while Sugar is allocated to fair price shops in departmental papers it remains in paper only; all the fair price shops that the ACAUT surveyed do not receive sugar, the organization stated.
“Thirdly Nagaland receives 13, 69,000 (thirteen Lakhs sixty nine thousand) litres of kerosene oil but as per the findings only 9,27,000(nine lakh twenty seven thousands) litres is allocated to all the districts of Nagaland, thus leaving 4,42,000 liter being unaccountable monthly at government level.” Even the allocated quantity does not reach the public nor is it supplied regularly, the organization said. “However, as per ACAUT Nagaland survey it is available in retail shops at Rs. 50-60. The misappropriation in kerosene oil is also in terms of crores monthly.”
Food grain
The ACAUT appended these details:
Nagaland’s monthly quota of food grain is 11,13,6710 kg’s (eleven crore thirteen lakh six thousand seven hundred and a ten). The state has a population of 19, 80,602 as per 2011 census (which the ACAUT called highly inflated) if divided as per capita allocation, the allocation would be ‘5.62 Kgs from chief minister to the last child.’
The ACAUT has appealed to all citizens to ponder whether the items if these items were judiciously allocated to all the genuine and needy population of all districts of Nagaland. It they were, then it would be safe to assume that there would be hardly any wheat, rice and ‘atta’ retail shops in Nagaland. The reason is, the ACAUT explained, the quantity supplied through PDS would be sufficient for the entire state and population of Nagaland itself.
Because of a few corrupted, selfish, and unscrupulous individuals go on looting sprees without the law checking on them, the ACAUT stated, thousands of families all over Nagaland are struggling for their livelihood.
