Five ration dealers suspended for harassing beneficiaries

balurghat: Five ration dealers, four from Balurghat block and one from Harirampur block, were suspended on Tuesday by South Dinajpur Food and Supplies department after receiving multiple allegations including the violation of state's directive to distribute essential food-grains and for not using the biometric method.

"There were multiple allegations being raised against the five ration dealers. They were harassing the beneficiaries continuously and not using the biometric method while distributing the food-grains. As per instruction of the state, the beneficiaries will draw the ration items from the nearest state-run Fair Price Shop (FPS) in view of uninterrupted Public Distribution System (PDS)," said an official of the district Food and Supplies department.

According to him, the concerned department will receive immediate messages through an auto-generated system if any of the ration dealers does not use the biometric method while distributing the food-grains.

"Earlier we had instructed all the ration dealers of the district to follow the state's directive and use biometric procedure mandatorily in case of any distribution of food-grains from their FPSs. We were being forced to suspend the five ration dealers for the violation of government order. A department investigation will be initiated against each of them," he said. The district Food and Supplies reportedly started Duare Ration scheme from October.