ction from Darjeeling and Malda as West Bengal Yatra on Right to Food and Work covers 12 districts ༯span>

Press Release

11 October 2012

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Action from Darjeeling and Malda as West Bengal Yatra on Right to Food and Work covers 12 districts

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Krishna Krishi Kalyan Samity (KKKS) and their members conducted a raid in one of the Fair Price Shops at Pubong in Darjeeling as part of action on rotten rations at Pubong, Gairidura in Darjeeling district. The ration dealer here had been distributing poor quality ration to all and was selling off the good quality ration in the outside market. It was also found that the ration which the shop receives from the Pubong Tea Management was also adulterated and poor quality of foodgrins were distributed to the tea garden workers.

The villagers handed over the samples of the shop to the Food and Supplies Department. With the help of police, officers from the Food & Supplies immediately sealed the shop and have confirmed that that the license of the owner will be cancelled.

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At another place in the same district, within the vicinity of the earlier Fair Price shop, ration cards were with the shop owner since 1986. The shop owner informed the media that the cards got destroyed in the fire in that year, but enquiry revealed that the shop still receives rations for 1340 cards. The villagers have also not been able to access other government schemes as they were without their ration cards. Several visits to the Food & Supplies office had no results. They met the C.I. who has assured to look into the matter immediately and will inspect the shop, and check the registers with allocation.

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On༯span>10༯span>October 2012,༯span>members from West Bengal Right to Food Campaign met the District Magistrate, Darjeeling. A copy of the signature campaign (which was collected in the month of July 2012) was submitted along with a memorandum stating the local grievances. Officer- in- charge was also met from the Food & Supplies department, who said that the problem of ration distribution to deserving families will be solved only when the false cards are cancelled in the district.

A press conference will be organized on 16༯span>October 2012 at Kalimpong to raise this issue of cancellation of false cards and corruption in the PDS.

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In Malda, a whole day campaign was undertaken yesterday by Malda Sahayogita Samity. 3 Gram Panchayats were covered with public meetings at bus stops and bazaars.

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For more details, please contact:༯i>ࠠࠠࠠࠠࠠࠠࠠࠠࠠࠠ

Saradindu BiswasଠPh: 9433342488  ࠦnbsp; ࠠ༯p>

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