Dimapur, May 2 (MExN): Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) Nagaland today highlighted the “rampant and systematic abuse” in the State’s Food & Civil Supplies department substantiating with facts and figures (see table). It stated that Nagaland receives from the Centre grains and other supplies more than the share required by the actual population (further compounded by inflated census).
In a press release issued by its Media Cell, ACAUT further expressed surprise that for a rice eating state, 30% of food grain allocation is wheat and Atta. Since wheat and Atta are not staple diet of Nagas, it is not distributed or allocated to the fair price shops, ACAUT Nagaland said, adding its survey has shown that none of the fair price shops receives wheat and Atta. “So the question arises as to what happens to these commodities (worth crores) or more importantly who takes it. Thus, indicating a clear case of misappropriation at govt. level in terms of crores per month which the public is entitled to know,” ACAUT stated.
The release further alleged that while sugar is allocated to fair price shops in departmental papers it remains in paper only. All the fair price shops that ACAUT surveyed do not receive sugar, it said.
It was also mentioned that Nagaland receives 13,69,000 liters of kerosene oil but as per the ACAUT findings, only 9,27,000 liters is allocated to all the districts of Nagaland; thus leaving 4,42,000 liter being unaccountable monthly at government level. According to the release, even the allocated quantity does not reach the public nor is it supplied regularly. It is available in retail shops at Rs. 50-60/- per liter, according to ACAUT Nagaland survey. The misappropriation in Kerosene oil, the release added, is also in terms of crores monthly.
Meanwhile, ACAUT pointed out that Nagaland’s monthly food grain allocation is 1,11,36,710 kg for a population of 19,80,602 as per 2011 census.
In this light, ACAUT Nagaland has appealed to all to ponder if these items were judiciously allocated to all the genuine and needy population of all districts of Nagaland. “(If they were judiciously allocated) then it would be safe to assume that there would be hardly any wheat, rice and Atta retail shops in Nagaland as the quantity supplied through PDS would be sufficient for whole of Nagaland.”
Asserting that the situation should be deeply worrying to all when thousands of families all over Nagaland are struggling for their livelihood on a daily basis, ACAUT Nagaland appealed to all, especially the churches, to rise up against “what is truly a shameful crime against humanity.”
.JPG)
