EMN
DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 29
BJP, Nagaland unit has demanded the State government to come out clean on public distribution system (PDS) or else it would use all resources within its power to demand for CBI investigation.
Demanding for disclosure of the names of the contractors-suppliers, the BJP said, “It would not allow some conscienceless people to rob away the poor man’s two square meals.”
The BJP said it seriously viewed the news report, “PDS (Public Distribution System) items fetch Premium in market”, published in a local media on October 28.
BJP Nagaland Media Cell in a statement demanded a thorough probe to unearth the entire gamut of the murky deal. It also demanded for making public in all local print media the monthly procurement and district-wise distribution of these items for the past five financial years up to date.
The monthly quota of PDS items namely, rice and wheat received for Nagaland under AAY, BPL and APL schemes as disclosed by Food Corporation of India (FCI) Regional Office, Dimapur and the allegation of pilferage to open market pointed to deep underlying nexus between the Central and State machineries, contractor-suppliers and middlemen, the statement said. “There are people making profits in terms of crores of rupees every month out of the poor men’s morsel was a serious allegation. The crime tantamounts to basic human rights violation and constitutional right to livelihood,” it stated.
The BJP then mentioned that “Antyodaya-Anna Yojana Scheme” was launched by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee under the NDA-1 regime in the year 2000, and aimed at providing food-base items to destitute or individuals under a particular social group.
“They are provided with a ration card (Antyodaya card) to enable them avail a food-grain quota at subsidized price. Each household is entitled for 35 kilograms of wheat or rice or combination of both every month. The food-grain is supplied at Rs. 2 per kilogram for wheat and Rs. 3 per kilogram for rice. A Fair Price Shop (FPS) – designated local ration shop, dispenses these items,” the statement pointed out.
Stating that the common people are being deprived of their rights and privileges at the cost of the poor people’s Below Poverty Line (BPL) scheme, the BJP alleged that some individuals/groups with vested interests are amassing wealth from the scheme while innocent public remain mute spectators.
“Whereas in other states of mainland these schemes are being genuinely implemented, which is benefiting the old (60 year-old and above), disabled, destitute men and women, widows, pregnant and lactating mothers and the under-privileged group of people in general with no regular support and means of subsistence,” it stated.
