CAF & PD department solely works in public interest: Shyam

Pothashang News Service: Imphal, August 28, 2019: Consumer affairs, food and public distribution (CAF & PD) department solely works in public interest and is not business-oriented or profit motivated in any way, said CAF & PD minister Karam Shyam clarifying on allegations relating to irregularities in distribution of essential commodities.

He also stated that he frequently gave accurate reports regarding allocation and distribution of essential commodities in the House during Assembly session and there are no irregularities.

He gave the clarification in a press meet held at his old secretariat office on Wednesday.

He pointed out that the government is able to get subsidies of about Rs 50 crores for transport and fair price shop agents as Manipur is a resource less and fund depriving state. The transport bills for 2015 and 2016 are also cleared, he said.

The NFSA rice items for primary households which was earlier around 65-70-75 % now shoots up to about 83% after giving pressure at the Centre. The actual target is around 85%, he clarified.

He appealed the people of the state to encourage the welfare activities transparently undertaken by the government in public interest.

Giving a detailed factual position of wheat, sugar and SK oil, CAF & PD director Ranjan Yumnam stated that wheat is now no longer a normal PDS allocation item that can be distributed through the medium of ration card and given only in certain rare cases of natural calamities and festive seasons. FCI disposed old stocks of wheat amounting to 2682 metric tonnes and 189 metric tonnes are being distributed to the public through mobile cells in November and April last year, he also said. While the monthly rice allocation as per NFSA scheme for Manipur is around 13,163.245 metric tonnes that is distributed through fair price shop agents, he added.

“Ranjan highlighted that the normal allocation of sugar is also stopped with effect from March 2017 and there is also no subsidies with respect to PDS sugar item. We are also not able to give sugar subsidies to AAY households at Rs. 18.50 per kg as directed by the central ministry due to certain inconveniences as sugar is at present available at an expensive price of  Rs.45 per kg in the market,” he clarified.

Ranjan also stated that there is no question of any lapse or negligence from the department’s side in the distribution of SK oil. SK oil allocation for April, May and June 2019 from the ministry is about 2,224 kilolitres per quarter at issue price of Rs.31 per litre, he said. He stated that as per the Government of India guidelines, households without LPG connection or electricity should be given the benefits of SK oil and the DCs in the different districts of the state are working hard to identify beneficiaries who deserve it.