Nearly 2,000 villagers from different blocks of Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district staged a dharna at the district headquarters to protest the “theft” of foodgrains in violation of the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

Villagers from far-flung blocks like Sadar, Tonto, Khuntpani, Tantnagar, Chakradharpur, Sonua, Hatgamharia, Kumardungi and Manoharpur took part in the agitation organised under the aegis of Khadya Suraksha Jan Adhikar Manch. They shouted slogans like “kon khaya garibon ka ration — dealer ya prashasan” (who ate the poor’s ration, dealer or administration?) and “ration choron to jail bhejon” (jail the ration thieves) at the old district collectorate in Chaibasa.

National Food Security Act, 2013 converts into legal entitlements for existing food security programmes of the government of India. It includes the midday meal scheme, integrated child development services scheme and the public distribution system.

Under the NFSA, beneficiaries are entitled to 5kg of foodgrains per person per month. The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) provides another 5kg of foodgrains per person per month.

A delegation from the Manch submitted a memorandum addressed to West Singhbhum deputy commissioner Ananya Mittal at the new district collectorate with copies to chairperson of Jharkhand State Food Commission, Himanshu Shekhar, and secretary in the food and civil supplies department, Himani Pande.

“For the last two years, there has been a massive reduction in foodgrains received by the card holders under the NFSA and the PMGKY. But surprisingly we found that in the online entry in government portals it shows that the full quantity of foodgrain allotted under the schemes has been distributed. For many months, ration has not been distributed by the dealer even though it shows online that foodgrain has been distributed. Green ration cardholders have not been given ration for several months. Many cardholders are not given a receipt even though their cards are punched in the POS machine. Ration cards of many deprived families have been cancelled without notice. There is a clear violation of the NFSA,” Ramesh Jerai, a Chaibasa-based member of the Manch, said.

Ramesh said ration cardholders of several villages had lodged complaints against not getting ration.

“People have complained to the district supply officer and the deputy commissioner several times. They were called to the district headquarters several times for hearing. But till date, people in most of the villages have not got the pending foodgrains. Neither an FIR has been registered nor the licence of the PDS dealer has been cancelled. No action has been taken against the officials responsible for the irregularity,” Ramesh said.

“It is surprising that the marketing officers, who are suspected to be in nexus with the ration dealers, are made to investigate the complaints. This further emboldens the ration dealers. The district with hunger and widespread malnutrition suffers from administrative apathy towards ration theft and irregularities,” said Sandeep Pradhan, another member of the Manch from Sonua block.

The Manch members demanded registration of an FIR against the guilty dealers and cancellation of their licence, and action against the guilty officials. Other demands included the immediate provision of ration cards to families whose cards have been cancelled, and arrangement to provide ration arrears to beneficiaries.

West Singhbhum deputy commissioner Mittal said the administration had started inspecting ration distribution at different PDS shops on the 15th and 25th of each month from September.

“We will also take action against those dealers found violating the NFSA,” Mittal said.

West Singhbhum district supply officer, Amit Prakash, said a process had been started to distribute pending foodgrains to beneficiaries. Several errant distributors has been suspended and the process has begun to cancel their licence, he added.