Food and Supplies dept determined to end middlemen raj: Jyotipriyo
4 March 2017 1:28 AM IST
The Food and Supplies department is determined to end middlemen raj, its minister Jyotipriyo Mullick said in the Assembly on Friday.
He said the money would be deposited in the bank accounts of the farmers and this would put an end to the middlemen raj. He said over the years, the middlemen used to run the show and the farmers had become a tool in their hands. But the department has taken up the matter seriously and is determined to put an end to the age-old system.
Mulllick said the department had so long procured 11 lakh metric tonne paddy and this would continue till September 30. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had held a meeting with senior officials of the department and took a stock of the situation. So far, 17 lakh farmers have enlisted their names.
The paddy is collected by 981 cooperatives and even the Self Help Groups can collect the paddy. Direct purchasing centres have also been set up for the procurement of the same.
He said that there were 124 tea gardens in Darjeeling district. Of these, 41 are situated in the plains and the remaining 83 are in the hilly areas. The department gives 20 kg wheat flour (atta) and 15 kg rice per family. In the hilly area, the total number of beneficiaries will be around 8.75 lakh. Five kg atta and 6 kg rice per person is given.
Of these tea gardens, SHGs run rationing system in seven tea gardens situated in Darjeeling and Siliguri areas. Forty one are being run by the MR dealers and in 76 gardens it is being looked after by the tea garden management. He said the tea garden workers of closed units were getting rice at Rs 2 per kg. Also, the state government is looking after their health because of the initiative taken by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Mullick criticised the Left Front for neglecting the tea garden workers for the past three decades. "You have talked a big game but have not done anything for their well being," he said.
'Old ration cards not yet cancelled'
Old non-digital ration cards have not yet been cancelled and the beneficiaries will be able to buy kerosene by producing them, state Food and Supplies minister Jyotipriyo Mullick said in the West Bengal Assembly on Friday. Dispelling all doubts over the cancellation of old ration cards, Mullick said that by showing the old ration cards at PDS shops, people can easily buy kerosene. They can also produce the old ration cards to apply for PAN card, voter ID card, Aadhaar card and even for opening bank accounts, the minister said. Mullick said 7.94 crore digital ration cards have been distributed so far. The process for issuing more cards is on, he added. He said that some people with vested interests had created confusion among the people. Meanwhile, some Opposition MLAs said that there were major mistakes in some digital ration cards and demanded their immediate rectification. Mullick said that the errors were being corrected.
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