Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department is in tight waters. It cannot plead to have been caught unawares. The Food Corporation of India, the main supplier of food grains, had said in good advance that it had stopped the policy of lending grains on credit to any state. CAPD Department should have taken due cognizance of this notice. It did not and now the public distribution outlets in all the three regions of the State are without stocks putting the ordinary consumers to difficulty. For the rich segments of society, there is not much to worry. Again for the BPL segment, there is no worry because the quota in this category has been lifted for six months in advance. It is now the middleclass segment that has to bear the brunt.
If funds were not released in time to make advance payments to FCI who is to blame for that? The Finance Department should have woken up in good advance and informed the State Cabinet about the grave results of a situation in which most of outlets in cities and towns of the State would be closed down. It is not long that the CAPD Department had come under the scanner and corruption charges were brought against some of its officials. The Government must respond to the concerns of the people that artificial shortage of food grains at the retail outlets has been created deliberately throughout the State to force people to buy their daily ration from ordinary stockists. The Government is well advised not to play with the sentiments of people in a very sensitive issue. There has to be the permanent policy of providing funds in advance to the FCI and lifting good grains for supply to registered retail dealers/outlets. The old system should continue but of course taking advantage of modern scientific and people-oriented mechanisms as well.
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