VELLORE: The Consumer Protection Council, a unit of Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum, while welcoming the State government’s decision to simplify the renewal procedures of ration cards at PDS outlets, has come up with a suggestion to utilise the services of NGOs to monitor PDS’s activities. P S Subrahmanian, honorary secretary of the council, said from 1992 to 1995, Consumers Protection Council members of Vellore, Gudiyattam and Arakkonam were involved in monitoring the activities of PDS outlets in the district. The council’s members used to accompany the officials during and after delivery of essential commodities at the fair price shops in both rural and urban places. He further said, this was effective in bringing to light several malpractices by PDS outlets like pilferage, inaccurate measurement of goods and diversion of rice, wheat, sugar, pulses and cereals to the open market. However, such incidents reduced subsequently. Unfortunately, despite repeated reminders, the government stopped the effective check on PDS malpractices. While the government admitted the prevalence of more than ten lakh bogus ration cards, their mere renewal without weeding out the irregularities would be a futile attempt in cleaning the Public Distribution System. “There is no use of giving essential commodities or other daily use goods at subsidised prices unless the quality of these commodities are improved and distributed properly at the PDS outlets,” Subrahmanian added. Subrahmanian further said, there has been increasing instances of police and revenue officials seizing PDS goods intended for distribution to public that were diverted to other states and open markets. This is where the services of the local NGOs and consumer groups would help in tackling the situation.Referring to the renewal process of the ration cards being planned by the state government for January and February 2012, wherein the head of the family has to go to the PDS outlet and inform the manager about the inclusions or omission of names of the members in the card by affixing thumb impression in the family card register, Subrahmanian welcomed the initiative.He suggested that senior citizens and physically challenged persons could be exempted from this by allowing them to send a sworn affidavit attested by gazetted officer or Notary Public, to have their cards renewed by other members of their families. To verify the credibility of such cards, flying squads or authorised members from the district supply office could periodically visit these houses even after accepting the inclusion or deletion in cards, and if malpractices are found, the renewal of the family ration cards could be cancelled.
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