MARGAO
The All Goa Consumer Cooperative Society and Fair Price Shop Owners Association have demanded an inquiry into what it called the non-transparent ways of functioning of the Civil Supplies Department.
At a time when ex-Governor Satyapal Mallik dropped a bomb, levelling corruption charges against the government, in respect of distribution of food grains during Covid pandemic, the Association has charged that the department had demanded payment of 70 paisa on lakhs of kilograms of food grains they had distributed to consumers during May-July 2020.
Addressing the media, Association General Secretary Gandhi Henriques levelled a host of allegations against the department, demanding institution of an inquiry to probe the charges against the department.
He lamented that the mandatory distribution of food grains to the doorsteps of the fair price shops as mandated under the National Food Security Act, 2013 and even by the Supreme Court orders have not been implemented till today. “This in spite of written assurances given by the department with the approval of the government wide letter dated January 10, 2019”, he added.
Henriques further said the written assurance to increase from seven kgs to 15 kgs of rice to all APL ration card holders is pending for the last three years. “The consumes are unhappy, frustrated as it is difficult to manage a family with seven kg rice per card”, he added.
Saying that the National Food Security Act mandates that every state must have a State Food Commission, Henriques said this is required to enable the fair price shop operators place their grievances and secure justice.
