Delhi LG nod to vigilance panels at PDS shops

The move will help weed out corruption and leakages at ration stores, apart from ensuring access for the intended beneficiaries

Delhi lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena has approved the constitution of vigilance committees at Fair Price Shops (FPS) across the national capital, said officials aware of the matter, adding that the move will help weed out corruption and leakages at ration stores, apart from ensuring access for the intended beneficiaries.

Delhi lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena expressed his concern that the committees had not been formed for eight years and that a 2017 proposal for their formation was reportedly caught in bureaucratic red tape. (HT Photo)

“These committees oversee the addition and deletion of names of beneficiaries to the FPS list, regulate the quality of food and grains being supplied and ensure the timely delivery and distribution of ration at the FPS,” said an official aware of the LG’s approval.

However, the official added that Saxena expressed his concern that the committees had not been formed for eight years and that a 2017 proposal for their formation was reportedly caught in bureaucratic red tape.

Spokespersons of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.

A majority of states such as Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Goa, Odisha, Tripura, Haryana, Assam have constituted such committees from 2016 to 2018. As per the website of Department of Food,Supplies and Consumer Affairs, at present there are 40 committees operating at the circle/block level in Delhi. There are at least 1,500 fair price shops in the Capital.

A proposal to reconstitute these committees was placed before the LG on March 27 this year by the minister of food and civil supplies Imran Hussain, said officials.

Hussain could not be contacted for comment.

According to a senior officer in the LG’s office, each vigilance committee must have seven members and will be headed by the food and supply officer of the ward (one food and supply officer may head such committees in many wards). It must be comprised of ration cardholders, women beneficiaries, people from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and those from other weaker sections.

“The committee will review the activity and responsibilities of FPS and ensure maintenance of prescribed records at fair price shops. It will also check the quality of food grains received at the shop and will ensure addition and deletion of beneficiaries. The food inspector, who will be the ex-officio member secretary of the committee, shall ensure that the meeting is convened at least once in every quarter and minutes of the meeting is made available to the block or circle level vigilance committee of the area concerned,” said a second officer from the department of food, supplies and consumer affairs.

The committees are required to ensure that rations reach their targeted beneficiaries and are not siphoned off. However, officials said these panels have not been formed since 2014, when Delhi was under President’s Rule.

A senior officer in the state food and supplies department said such committees were formed at the state, district and circle levels in 2014, but not at the FPS level.

“These committees were not formed after the 2015 elections. The proposal was initiated on many occasions from the lower levels of the state administration. Section 29 of the National Food Security Act of 2013 mandates the formation of the vigilance committees at state, district, block and FPS levels,” said the officer cited above.

The officer also said the LG, in a note to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal recently underlined that constitution of these committees that seeks to ensure transparency in the public distribution system.

“Most states, like Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Goa, Odisha, Tripura, Haryana and Assam constituted the committees during 2016 to 2018,” the officer said, quoting the LG’s note.

“But Delhi could not set up a Fair Price Shop-level committee in the past eight years…There has been extreme laxity in processing this proposal,” the officer quoted.

An officer aware of the 2017 proposal said the food and supplies department put the document together at the time. However, added the officer, the file kept moving between departments and that it was reportedly held up with Hussain for nine months.

“It was then returned to the secretary without any reason being cited,” said the officer.