Bhadrak: Quite like a Facebook post that changed Ranu Mondal’s life, a Tweet has helped a poor PDS beneficiary secure her nine months’ quota of PDS rice.
Panchali Jena, a resident of Anaharpur village under Bhagabanpur panchayat of Dhamnagar block in Bhadrak district, is a PDS beneficiary. She, however, had not been receiving her entitled PDS articles for past nine months.
A social activist, Santosh Mahapatra of Bhagabanpur village brought the issue to the attention of the Chief Minister, food & supplies minister, collector, district supply officer and Dhamnagar block development officer (BDO) through a tweet Monday.
What Panchali’s doing rounds of PDS centre and panchayat office could not do in nine months, was done by a single tweet.
After coming across the tweet, the supplies minister asked Bhadrak collector to get the veracity of the matter verified. The collector, in turn, asked the district supply officer Mir Raja Ali to go to Panchali’s village and conduct an inquiry.
Ali and Dhamnagar BDO Manoranjan Mahapatra accordingly reached Anaharpur village and saw the condition of Panchali for themselves. They came to know that Panchali is a deserving beneficiary and has her ration card. They then called the dealer to ensure that her name is in the beneficiary list.
The inspection revealed that her name was very much there in the list. And the matter tweeted by Santosh was then proved to be true.
She was immediately given her entire backlog of 180 kilograms of rice.
Allegations regarding PDS articles of a beneficiary being taken away by someone else have been coming to the fore time and again. And this incident has only given credence to the allegations. Local people have demanded for an inquiry into Panchali’s case. They have also alleged that some ghost beneficiaries have been shown favour of and are getting the subsidised Antyodaya and Annapurna articles in Bhagabanpur panchayat.
District Supply Officer Ali said exemplary action would be taken against whoever is found guilty in helping themselves to Panchali’s PDS articles.
PNN