Minister for Civil Supplies and Finance Etala Rajender today set a deadline of three months to Joint Collectors to stop illegal transportation or sale of ration rice and other essential commodities which should be given to the needy and eligible poor in the State.
During a conference on Rabi Action Plan with JCs here, the Minister asked them to make coordinated efforts to curb malpractices in distribution of ration rice among the poor with cards. He appreciated Civil Supplies Commissioner C V Anand for doing a fine job like he did as Cyberabad Police Commissioner to curb illegal transportation of ration rice. “Our aim was to ensure that every poor should get ration rice and simultaneously check the illegal sale or transportation of ration rice”, he said. The entire system of Public Distribution System was streamlined by 80 per cent as the officials are supposed to work with self-respect.
“We are not replicating the previous governments, which used to ask officials to remove illegal cases against some dealers”, Rajender said. Without the pressure from the government, the officials have to make persistent efforts to reach the goal to give rice to the poor. “We are ready to offer new shops and steps should be taken to see that only genuine people get rice and others should not,” he said, adding that a publicity campaign has to be carried out in this regard.
Eatala also said the Centre has recognized 1.90 cr people under below poverty line (BPL) category against the 2.74 cr people in the state. Though the government is committed to set the things right it is time joint collectors should work more effectively to curb malpractices he said. Steps have to be initiated that no dealer should have more number of cards with him the civil supplies minister said. Reduction of ration cards does not mean that the poor denied their due share of rice and instead stop illegal sale and transportation of the same he said and asked to make exact weighing of rice which should not even reduce by half kilo.
Civil Supplies Corporation Chairman Peddi Sudershan Reddy said Rabi will be called “Yasangi” henceforth which is expected to get 37 lakh metric tons of produce this time. He said since the flagship program of Mission Kakatiya gave positive results, the lakes, water bodies and ponds in rural pockets are filled up with waters and the farmers and people are happy. “Despite the Corporation has loans and facing difficulties, we should work for benefiting the farmers by giving them better price”, he said. (NSS)