Odisha Has 2 lakh Ghost PDS Beneficiaries, Reveals Govt’s Covid Assistance Pkg For Ration Card Holders

Bhubaneswar: As scandalous as it could sound, the State has over two lakh ghost beneficiaries beneath the Public Distribution System (PDS), in keeping with an RTI question. What’s extra surprising is that not a single particular person has been recognized as but.
After the outbreak of the Covid pandemic, CM Naveen Patnaik beneath the Food Security scheme doled out three months advance PDS ration to the beneficiaries. This aside, it was introduced that every one the 94 lakh-odd PDS beneficiaries will get Rs 1000 every, for which Rs 940 crore (complete estimation is round Rs 955.16 cr) was spent, sources stated.
Soon, the required funds have been allotted to every of the districts. However, a refund of Rs 20.56 crore to the state exchequer has introduced out within the open presence of greater than two lakh ghost beneficiaries throughout districts.
While Balasore district alone refunded Rs 90 lakh, Nabarangpur district had greater than Rs 56 lakh stability after distribution. Even Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has returned Rs 96 lakh to the district workplace, revealed official stories.
District provide officer of Nabarangpur, Sanjeev Kumar Sahu stated, “The BDOs have submitted UCs (utilisation certificates) of distribution of all blocks and returned the balance amount. Around Rs 56,36,500 has been returned because the BDOs submitted a report that the beneficiaries are not available.”
Pradyumna Kumar Routray, District provide officer of Balasore, stated, “After distribution of the cash to every beneficiary, the remaining amount was returned to the government through the BDOs.”
The unutilised financial help is anyhow again to the exchequer however the main concern now that has raised many eyebrows is the existence of the ineligible PDS beneficiaries who’re nonetheless availing rice, wheat, dal and different meals grains.
Questions are additionally being raised whether or not the PDS sellers are lifting all of the equipped inventory within the title of those ghost ration card beneficiaries.
Social activist Pradeep Pradhan stated, “Crores of rupees are being siphoned off in the name of fake beneficiaries of rice. The recent data revealed that the cash meant for 2 lakh beneficiaries have been returned to the government as they were not available. If we take this into account, about Rs 200 crore is being swindled in the NFSA rice distribution system.”
On the opposite hand, the State Civil Supplies Corporation has stated that no grievance has up to now been acquired with regard to any beneficiary omitted of Covid help.
Hrudananda Kar, CGM (Finance) of State Supply Corporation, stated, “We have to examine it (RTI report on the presence of ghost beneficiaries). Because the authorities in the district-level distributed to all the beneficiaries they came across. We have not received any complaint regarding any beneficiary being left out.”
Even because the presence of faux beneficiaries is out within the open, the ineligible individuals availing PDS advantages are nonetheless to be traced.