Dasmunsi writes to PM over Bengal PDS row

Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi on Sunday said the West Bengal Government was not addressing the issue of corruption in the Public Distribution System PDS in three districts and there was considerable unrest on this. He sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh8217;s intervention in the matter that led to agitation in the three districts.

8220;The agitation in the state would have a serious bearing on the overall law and order system in the villages on the ration distribution day. The state Government is not addressing the issue properly,8221; Dasmunsi said in a letter to Singh. The Congress leader attributed the alleged violence in three districts to the state Government8217;s failure in properly identifying the 8220;real8221; BPL families and curbing pilferage in supply of food items.

8220;While the ration dealers have complained that some dealers were secretly operating with other forces to dispose the material food items in the market at higher prices for their individual gain, the BPL list itself is not in a perfect order,8221; he said.

Dasmunsi has urged the Prime Minister to ensure identification of BPL families, transparency in the distribution of the ration cards and in the supply of food items to the ration dealers. He has also drawn the attention of the PM to the plight of the farmers due to flood situation in south Bengal and asked for adequate supply of food grains for them.