Gujarat Plus - Gujarat on Web

FP shops in city tailor-made for the rich! Sunday, September 16, 2001

BY SOURAV MUKHERJEE, TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD: Public Distribution System (PDS) shops in Ahmedabad are today meant only for the rich with wheat and rice available at these "fair price" shops costlier than in the open market.

The long queues have disappeared and there is no mad rush to get the quota of foodgrains. Misrepresentation of the number of family members to get more grains at a cheap rate is not resorted to any more. These images are part of history as PDS in Ahmedabad faces a complete breakdown.

Wheat, point out PDS shop owners across the city, costs Rs 800 per quintal at FP shops while it can be procured at Rs 650 from the market. Rice at FP shops costs Rs 150 more per quintal. This holds true for all Above Poverty Line (APL) ration card holders.

The rustic dream of falling back on the PDS while migrating to the city has turned into a nightmare for below poverty level (BPL) card holders, too. Apart from the supply of very poor quality grains, the state government's go-slow on issuance of computerised PDS cards might soon push FP shops to extinction.

Of the 8,06,227 applications for ration cards, only 1,95,226 have been processed of which 21,000 are available for distribution. While the food and civil supplies department in Ahmedabad gets ready to spend Rs 16.68 lakh to print these computerised cards, they are not worth much except for being used as identity cards.

More surprises are unravelled on perusing records that contain the names and addresses of those believed to be below the poverty line. In 1998, a survey to verify the status and number of people eligible for BPL cards was conducted by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation on behalf of the food and civil supplies department.

But, instead of arriving at the correct number of Amdavadis living below the poverty line, it led to confusion which holds PDS in the city to ransom three years after its completion.

The food and civil supplies department, on scrutinising the survey, which put the number of those below BPL at 1.10 lakh, found that many names were untraceable. Only 21,000 could be tracked down within AMC limits.

For example:

* Haribhai Senabhai Madalai, a 'resident' of Naranpotri in Saijpur-Bogha, according to the report, was eligible for a BPL card. Enquiries revealed there was no Madalai at the specified address.

* Valjibhai Kesarbhai Rabari, a resident of Naroda whose name figures in BPL list, is a prosperous businessman who owns a two-storey building and a car.

* Kanubhai Somabhai Shah of Thakoreswar in Hansol figures on the 'missing' list. Efforts to locate Shah in the specified address were unsuccessful.

Says additional collector, food and civil supplies, VP Patel: "We have written to the municipal corporation to get the survey corrected. Prices for APL card holders have been brought down to Rs 7 for a kg of wheat and Rs 10 for rice (at a par with prevailing market rates). But, the BPL cards can be issued only after the beneficiaries are traced."

The non-issuance of BPL cards has hit both the masses and PDS shop owners hard. Old ration cards do not state the correct number of family members. Of the 633 PDS shops within AMC limits, none has more than 80 BPL subscribers.

"Instead of updating the old BPL figures the survey was carried out arbitrarily and misrepresents facts," alleges president of the Fair Shop Owners' Association of Ahmedabad, Prakashbhai Kevlani.

Kevlani, who has a PDS shop in Naroda, has 1,680 APL subscribers and about 70 BPL ones, laments that "my customer base is shrinking alarmingly. The same is the case with other fair price shop owners across the city. Bad pricing and supply of poor quality of food grains has almost killed the efficacy of PDS."

The association claims to have represented before the state government and with their foodgrains supplier, the Gujarat State Civil Supplies Corporation but to no avail.
SOURAV MUKHERJEE

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

HMEDABAD: Public Distribution System (PDS) shops in Ahmedabad are today meant only for the rich with wheat and rice available at these "fair price" shops costlier than in the open market.

The long queues have disappeared and there is no mad rush to get the quota of foodgrains. Misrepresentation of the number of family members to get more grains at a cheap rate is not resorted to any more. These images are part of history as PDS in Ahmedabad faces a complete breakdown.

Wheat, point out PDS shop owners across the city, costs Rs 800 per quintal at FP shops while it can be procured at Rs 650 from the market. Rice at FP shops costs Rs 150 more per quintal. This holds true for all Above Poverty Line (APL) ration card holders.

The rustic dream of falling back on the PDS while migrating to the city has turned into a nightmare for below poverty level (BPL) card holders, too. Apart from the supply of very poor quality grains, the state government's go-slow on issuance of computerised PDS cards might soon push FP shops to extinction.

Of the 8,06,227 applications for ration cards, only 1,95,226 have been processed of which 21,000 are available for distribution. While the food and civil supplies department in Ahmedabad gets ready to spend Rs 16.68 lakh to print these computerised cards, they are not worth much except for being used as identity cards.

More surprises are unravelled on perusing records that contain the names and addresses of those believed to be below the poverty line. In 1998, a survey to verify the status and number of people eligible for BPL cards was conducted by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation on behalf of the food and civil supplies department.

But, instead of arriving at the correct number of Amdavadis living below the poverty line, it led to confusion which holds PDS in the city to ransom three years after its completion.

The food and civil supplies department, on scrutinising the survey, which put the number of those below BPL at 1.10 lakh, found that many names were untraceable. Only 21,000 could be tracked down within AMC limits.

For example:

* Haribhai Senabhai Madalai, a 'resident' of Naranpotri in Saijpur-Bogha, according to the report, was eligible for a BPL card. Enquiries revealed there was no Madalai at the specified address.

* Valjibhai Kesarbhai Rabari, a resident of Naroda whose name figures in BPL list, is a prosperous businessman who owns a two-storey building and a car.

* Kanubhai Somabhai Shah of Thakoreswar in Hansol figures on the 'missing' list. Efforts to locate Shah in the specified address were unsuccessful.

Says additional collector, food and civil supplies, VP Patel: "We have written to the municipal corporation to get the survey corrected. Prices for APL card holders have been brought down to Rs 7 for a kg of wheat and Rs 10 for rice (at a par with prevailing market rates). But, the BPL cards can be issued only after the beneficiaries are traced."

The non-issuance of BPL cards has hit both the masses and PDS shop owners hard. Old ration cards do not state the correct number of family members. Of the 633 PDS shops within AMC limits, none has more than 80 BPL subscribers.

"Instead of updating the old BPL figures the survey was carried out arbitrarily and misrepresents facts," alleges president of the Fair Shop Owners' Association of Ahmedabad, Prakashbhai Kevlani.

Kevlani, who has a PDS shop in Naroda, has 1,680 APL subscribers and about 70 BPL ones, laments that "my customer base is shrinking alarmingly. The same is the case with other fair price shop owners across the city. Bad pricing and supply of poor quality of food grains has almost killed the efficacy of PDS."

The association claims to have represented before the state government and with their foodgrains supplier, the Gujarat State Civil Supplies Corporation but to no avail.
SOURAV MUKHERJEE

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

HMEDABAD: Public Distribution System (PDS) shops in Ahmedabad are today meant only for the rich with wheat and rice available at these "fair price" shops costlier than in the open market.

The long queues have disappeared and there is no mad rush to get the quota of foodgrains. Misrepresentation of the number of family members to get more grains at a cheap rate is not resorted to any more. These images are part of history as PDS in Ahmedabad faces a complete breakdown.

Wheat, point out PDS shop owners across the city, costs Rs 800 per quintal at FP shops while it can be procured at Rs 650 from the market. Rice at FP shops costs Rs 150 more per quintal. This holds true for all Above Poverty Line (APL) ration card holders.

The rustic dream of falling back on the PDS while migrating to the city has turned into a nightmare for below poverty level (BPL) card holders, too. Apart from the supply of very poor quality grains, the state government's go-slow on issuance of computerised PDS cards might soon push FP shops to extinction.

Of the 8,06,227 applications for ration cards, only 1,95,226 have been processed of which 21,000 are available for distribution. While the food and civil supplies department in Ahmedabad gets ready to spend Rs 16.68 lakh to print these computerised cards, they are not worth much except for being used as identity cards.

More surprises are unravelled on perusing records that contain the names and addresses of those believed to be below the poverty line. In 1998, a survey to verify the status and number of people eligible for BPL cards was conducted by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation on behalf of the food and civil supplies department.

But, instead of arriving at the correct number of Amdavadis living below the poverty line, it led to confusion which holds PDS in the city to ransom three years after its completion.

The food and civil supplies department, on scrutinising the survey, which put the number of those below BPL at 1.10 lakh, found that many names were untraceable. Only 21,000 could be tracked down within AMC limits.

For example:

* Haribhai Senabhai Madalai, a 'resident' of Naranpotri in Saijpur-Bogha, according to the report, was eligible for a BPL card. Enquiries revealed there was no Madalai at the specified address.

* Valjibhai Kesarbhai Rabari, a resident of Naroda whose name figures in BPL list, is a prosperous businessman who owns a two-storey building and a car.

* Kanubhai Somabhai Shah of Thakoreswar in Hansol figures on the 'missing' list. Efforts to locate Shah in the specified address were unsuccessful.

Says additional collector, food and civil supplies, VP Patel: "We have written to the municipal corporation to get the survey corrected. Prices for APL card holders have been brought down to Rs 7 for a kg of wheat and Rs 10 for rice (at a par with prevailing market rates). But, the BPL cards can be issued only after the beneficiaries are traced."

The non-issuance of BPL cards has hit both the masses and PDS shop owners hard. Old ration cards do not state the correct number of family members. Of the 633 PDS shops within AMC limits, none has more than 80 BPL subscribers.

"Instead of updating the old BPL figures the survey was carried out arbitrarily and misrepresents facts," alleges president of the Fair Shop Owners' Association of Ahmedabad, Prakashbhai Kevlani.

Kevlani, who has a PDS shop in Naroda, has 1,680 APL subscribers and about 70 BPL ones, laments that "my customer base is shrinking alarmingly. The same is the case with other fair price shop owners across the city. Bad pricing and supply of poor quality of food grains has almost killed the efficacy of PDS."

The association claims to have represented before the state government and with their foodgrains supplier, the Gujarat State Civil Supplies Corporation but to no avail.
SOURAV MUKHERJEE

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

HMEDABAD: Public Distribution System (PDS) shops in Ahmedabad are today meant only for the rich with wheat and rice available at these "fair price" shops costlier than in the open market.

The long queues have disappeared and there is no mad rush to get the quota of foodgrains. Misrepresentation of the number of family members to get more grains at a cheap rate is not resorted to any more. These images are part of history as PDS in Ahmedabad faces a complete breakdown.

Wheat, point out PDS shop owners across the city, costs Rs 800 per quintal at FP shops while it can be procured at Rs 650 from the market. Rice at FP shops costs Rs 150 more per quintal. This holds true for all Above Poverty Line (APL) ration card holders.

The rustic dream of falling back on the PDS while migrating to the city has turned into a nightmare for below poverty level (BPL) card holders, too. Apart from the supply of very poor quality grains, the state government's go-slow on issuance of computerised PDS cards might soon push FP shops to extinction.

Of the 8,06,227 applications for ration cards, only 1,95,226 have been processed of which 21,000 are available for distribution. While the food and civil supplies department in Ahmedabad gets ready to spend Rs 16.68 lakh to print these computerised cards, they are not worth much except for being used as identity cards.

More surprises are unravelled on perusing records that contain the names and addresses of those believed to be below the poverty line. In 1998, a survey to verify the status and number of people eligible for BPL cards was conducted by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation on behalf of the food and civil supplies department.

But, instead of arriving at the correct number of Amdavadis living below the poverty line, it led to confusion which holds PDS in the city to ransom three years after its completion.

The food and civil supplies department, on scrutinising the survey, which put the number of those below BPL at 1.10 lakh, found that many names were untraceable. Only 21,000 could be tracked down within AMC limits.

For example:

* Haribhai Senabhai Madalai, a 'resident' of Naranpotri in Saijpur-Bogha, according to the report, was eligible for a BPL card. Enquiries revealed there was no Madalai at the specified address.

* Valjibhai Kesarbhai Rabari, a resident of Naroda whose name figures in BPL list, is a prosperous businessman who owns a two-storey building and a car.

* Kanubhai Somabhai Shah of Thakoreswar in Hansol figures on the 'missing' list. Efforts to locate Shah in the specified address were unsuccessful.

Says additional collector, food and civil supplies, VP Patel: "We have written to the municipal corporation to get the survey corrected. Prices for APL card holders have been brought down to Rs 7 for a kg of wheat and Rs 10 for rice (at a par with prevailing market rates). But, the BPL cards can be issued only after the beneficiaries are traced."

The non-issuance of BPL cards has hit both the masses and PDS shop owners hard. Old ration cards do not state the correct number of family members. Of the 633 PDS shops within AMC limits, none has more than 80 BPL subscribers.

"Instead of updating the old BPL figures the survey was carried out arbitrarily and misrepresents facts," alleges president of the Fair Shop Owners' Association of Ahmedabad, Prakashbhai Kevlani.

Kevlani, who has a PDS shop in Naroda, has 1,680 APL subscribers and about 70 BPL ones, laments that "my customer base is shrinking alarmingly. The same is the case with other fair price shop owners across the city. Bad pricing and supply of poor quality of food grains has almost killed the efficacy of PDS."

The association claims to have represented before the state government and with their foodgrains supplier, the Gujarat State Civil Supplies Corporation but to no avail.

News Source : Times News Network [India's best Newspaper]

 

This site is dedicated to our friend Younus M, who passed away on 28th Sept 00, and left on us an indelible memories ! - Team GujaratPlus.com

[P] Privacy Policy | © Copyright 2000-2006 |

Designed & Hosted by eZee Web Solutions