West Bengal Chief Secretary Basudeb Banerjee held video conferences with District Magistrates on Tuesday to iron out the glitches in the government’s distribution of digital ration cards. The meeting took place at the State Secretariat.
The development comes after a number of issues cropped up regarding the implementation of the government’s related initiative including delay in the issuing of digital ration cards and confusion among beneficiaries about the procedure.
The issue of many deserving candidates being left out of the State and Central government’s new list regarding food security has sparked protests in various parts of the State. The protests often turned violent as in some cases ration dealers were assaulted by the agitators.
With the Opposition parties targeting the State Government over the issue, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked them not to “politicise” the matter. She alleged that ration dealers backed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) were creating problems.
During the day, State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury accused the Chief Minister of “complicating” the process of ensuring food security by trying project a Central scheme as her own.
Meanwhile Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity, an organisation working for landless peasants, has pointed out that in implementing the National Food Security Act, the State Government was already spent Rs.1,930 crore.
In a press statement issued during the day, the Samity said: It (State Government) has now plans to spend another Rs.2,300 crore to provide everyone under the NFSA with Rs.2 rice and for the two State schemes.”
Welcoming the decision, they urged the government to ensure adequate funds, infrastructure and smooth administrative functioning in this regard.
