Red marks in state ration cards

The Centre is planning to pull up the state Governments over gross misappropriation of resources devoted to it for distribution through the Public Distribution System PDS....

The Centre is planning to pull up the state Governments over gross misappropriation of resources devoted to it for distribution through the Public Distribution System PDS. In a recent report on PDS, the NSSO had pointed out the distortions in the system. The Food Ministry is planning to ask the state Governments for explanation on the findings.

8220;We will be calling a meeting of all the authorities concerned with the monitoring of PDS in their states and seek their explanation on the distortions as pointed out in the NSSO report. We will ask them to justify the Central Government8217;s allocation under this light. We will also ask them to explain the steps being taken to ensure that the foodgrains supplied to them are reaching the needy,8221; said T Nanda Kumar, Secretary of the Department of Food 038; Public Distribution.

The Food and Public Distribution Department fears that the foodgrains being made available to these state Governments by the Centre are being diverted in a big way. According to the report, worst situation is in Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal as only a fraction of their Below Poverty Line BPL families are availing food from the fair price shops. See BOX

Speaking to The Indian Express, Nanda Kumar said prima facie this indicates huge diversion from the PDS and needs course correction. The NSSO report has pointed an empirical basis to pin down individual states by seeking their explanation and also asking them to plug loopholes. The department will compile a state-wise comprehensive report before taking up the matter with the state governments, said Nanda Kumar.

The NSSO report released two days back also points out a major lacunae in targeting social assistance through BPL ration cards in rural areas.

The report says that as against a desired 100 per cent coverage, only 41 per cent of the households, placed at the bottom of monthly per capita expenditure MPCE list of rural households, possess ration cards meant for Below Poverty Line BPL families.

While, in contrast, about 11 per cent of the totally undeserving households, falling in the top five per cent of the rural households, hold ration cards meant for Below Poverty Line BPL families.