DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 27 (MExN): Nagaland State Chief Minister, TR Zeliang, who also holds the portfolio of Food & Civil Supplies, today issued a statement with regard to reports alleging siphoning of rice meant for beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act.
In a statement issued through the CMO, Zeliang claimed that the whole case has been “misinterpreted and misprojected in the media wherein it was depicted that corrupt activities are taking place with the assumed blessings of the Government.”
The CM informed that the Secretary, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India had clarified that the Ministry is not in a position to make up for the loss arising out of spillage and wastage during the process of transportation/ storage.
“And since beneficiaries in the State have complained on numerous occasions that they do not get the full amount of grain as prescribed, the department, on query raised by the Chief Minister, had pointed out that it had written to the stockists on November 4, 2016, permitting them to repack the rice in durable plastic bags as requested by them to ensure that the right proportion of rice is packed and reach the beneficiaries,” the CM said.
He added that there is a “misconception” implanted in the minds of the public that departmental supply of rice can/ should only be in jute bags. “However, these jute bags, owing to improper handling while transportation, develop damages which lead to spillage and wastage of food grain, thereby, resulting in inaccurate/ shortfall in weight when the bags reach the targeted group. While it is a fact that rice should be packed in bags which enable aeration to the grains, considering that the repacked rice would reach the beneficiaries in a matter of days for distribution, it was considered that it would be best to repack the bags,” the CM informed.
Nagaland, he meanwhile added has a total of 47,500 ration card holders under AAY covering a population of 2,09,657, and a total of 2,37,434 ration card holders under PHH covering a population of 11,93,928. A total of 14,03,579 people in Nagaland are covered under the NFSA.
The Government of India allots food grain according to the number of ration card holders and not a kilogram more or less. “And as spillage and wastage of grains in various stages of transportation and storage process invariably takes place, it is inevitable that some shortfall at the beneficiary level occur,” the CM stated.
CM informed that he has on several occasions, asked the beneficiaries as well as the general public to bring it to his attention if they do not get the prescribed amount of food grain.
He further informed that repackaging has been permitted for the first time on an experimental basis and the Department will be asked to make changes in arrangements, if necessary, based on the feedback received.
As such, he stated that the Secretary, Food & Civil Supplies had clarified earlier that the department had allowed stockists to experiment with repackaging from jute bags to other durable bags and from 100 kg bags to 50 kg bags for convenience of loading and unloading to destinations.
The CM termed it unfortunate that “this department-approved repackaging has been projected in the media that the repacked rice bags were meant for the open market, which is far from the truth, and which, if proven to be true, in itself amounts to a criminal activity requiring stringent action on the part of the Government.”
The CM asked the public to first give the repackaging process a chance and see if the beneficiaries get their due share, “before jumping the gun and crying foul, blaming and criticising as if one has some political axe to grind.”
He further opined that since NFSA is a new scheme in Nagaland, “everything may not be perfect or up to everyone’s expectations.” The CM however expressed determination to make the FSA a success and welcomed suggestions from concerned individuals or groups to come forward with their suggestions to achieve the target of enabling the beneficiaries get what they ought to get.
Meanwhile, the CM also directed stockists/ transporters/ distributors or officials to ensure that the right quality and quantity of food grain reaches the beneficiaries on time, and cautioned that any compromise on the quality or quantity of food grains under NFSA would not be tolerated or condoned. He also appealed to the public to cooperate with the department in making the programme a success.
