The department for consumer affairs, food and public distribution held three meetings through video conferencing with officials of all states.
In order to check foodgrain pilferage from PDS shops and ensure delivery of the benefits food security, the Government on Monday came out with detailed guidelines for social audit of the central scheme. A ministry official told DNA that in order to ensure transparency in the implementation of the PDS, the central and the state Act, the state government shall make available all records to the general public.
The department for consumer affairs, food and public distribution held three meetings through video conferencing with officials of all states. On July 27, August 17 and August 31st this year pertaining to various aspects of grievance redressal mechanism and transparency related to the implementation of the various provisions of the National Food Security Act.
During the meetings, most of the states felt that the since under NFSA, the main issue is timely distribution of foodgrains to eligible households as per the norms of the Act with regard to monthly entitlements and applicable prices, there was no need to go for as detailed and cost intensive social audit as is being done in case of the flagship rural job scheme MGNREGA. They were of the view that a simpler social audit process can be evolved for NFSA.
Accordingly, the Department of Food and Public Distribution has come out with a new set of guidelines, which draw heavily from the rules on social audit of the government of Chhattisgarh that ensure participation of local bodies in audit of all the documents of the fair price shops, twice in a year.
A ministry official said that the new guidelines also prescribe that in addition of the audit of fair price shops, the process of social audit should also include eliciting views, grievances and suggestions from the public on key parameters related to their functioning.
The new guidelines have a provision for making making public reports of the social audit and action taken there one. It also mandates placing the same on the PDS portal.
As per the guidelines all records related to allotment, storage and distribution of ration commodities under Public Distribution System, at Fair Price Shops will be placed at Gram Sabhas, which will be held on August 15 and January 26 every year. After audit of documents at Gram Sabha, the report along with the recommendation shall be submitted to block level vigilance committee.After examination by block level vigilance committee, the recommendation will be forwarded to district level vigilance committee for further action.
Equal distribution
Department for consumer affairs, food and public distribution met officials of all states.
Department of Food and Public Distribution has sets rules to ensure participation of local bodies twice a year.
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