DIMAPUR, MAY 23 (MExN): The National People’s Party (NPP), Nagaland State has questioned the State Government on “irregularities” in the Public Distribution System (PDS).
A press release from the NPP informed that Nagaland receives 16,625 MT of rice annually with monthly allocation of 1385 MT of rice. It further stated that under PHH, Nagaland receives 76,331 MT with monthly allocation of 6360 MT.
“According to this supply and distribution, every individual in Nagaland should have received an average amount of 4 Kgs of rice per month with approximately 20 lakh population. Where have all these huge quantities of rice disappeared? Who have been the indirect beneficiaries of the PDS for so many years?” the NPP questioned.
It accused the State Government of “trying its best to elude questions" on the well-being of the State including the Public Distribution System (PDS).”
It informed that “as per an estimate,” the average leakage from off-taken food grains of PDS in the country was 46.7 percent in the year 2011-2012. In terms of state-wise leakage, Nagaland was shown to have 94.7% percent leakage of PDS off-taken food grains in the same year, it said.
Further, the NPP recalled that the CAG during 2005-2011 had also unearthed serious irregularities in the state’s PDS structure. It said that the CAG report revealed that the Department of Food and Civil Supplies issued ration-cards “randomly.” Some other anomalies reported were “large scale diversion of food grains to open market; allocation of food grains to non-existent institutions, hostels and Village Grain Banks, short allocation, short lifting and delayed distribution of food grains, charging higher rates and inadequate infrastructure etc.” The NPP pointed out that there are no adequate storage depots and warehouses. Even FCI facilities, including the one in Dimapur, lack proper infrastructure and monitoring by state agencies, it said.
Meanwhile, the NPP also noted that the State Government has extended the number of state stockists handling Tide Over Rice for the year 2022-23. “The tide over allocation of rice under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) which has been released from May 2022 to March 2023 amounts to 3873 MT per month to all districts in Nagaland but no proper records of the distribution have been found till date,” It said.
It informed that according to the above allocation, district wise allocation of the same should be: Mokokchung – 400 MT, Wokha – 380 MT, Phek – 300 MT, Peren – 200 MT, Tseminyu – 100 MT, Kohima – 400 MT, Longleng -200 MT, Dimapur – 448 MT, Kiphire – 220 MT, Shamatore – 100 MT, Mon – 400 MT, Niuland – 100 MT, Chumukedima – 100 MT, Noklak – 100 MT, Tuensang – 125 MT, and Zunheboto – 300 MT.
The NPP demanded that the people responsible for these corrupt practices be exposed in the public and appropriate action be taken.
Further it said that rural farmers would benefit if they are provided with more incentives for local produce instead of solely relying on the PDS. It advised the State Government to mull over a programme whereby funds allocated for PDS can be utilized for subsidies, agricultural loans and for procuring better seeds, modern equipments and organic manures for the local farmers which will create a better local economy.
