Implement TPDS transparently: SLVMC

NAMSAI, 18 Nov: The Food & Civil Supplies Department’s State Level Vigilance and Monitoring Committee (SLVMC) Chairman Anok Wangsa urged the Namsai district administration to implement the targeted public distribution system (TPDS) in a transparent manner “in order to reach the targeted consumers.”

During a meeting with DC RK Sharma, DFCSO CD Manchey, fair price shop (FPS) dealers, members of cooperative societies, consumer activists, carriage contractors and other stakeholders here on Thursday, Wangsa highlighted the provisions under the National Food Security Act, 2013, and the power and functions of the SLVMC, which has been formed by the state government to ensure transparent and proper functioning of the TPDS.

Responding to the grievances raised by the FPS dealers and carriage contractors regarding pending bills, Wangsa assured to take up the matter with the state government for early redress.

The DFCSO made a presentation on the latest status of the PDS implementation in the district, and highlighted the problems being faced by the department, the FPS dealers and the carriage contractors owing to “non-payment of FPS dealer margin and carriage payments.”

The FPS dealers and carriage contractors also raised the issue of “not releasing profit margin and carriage payment for many years,” and urged the state government to release their payments at the earliest.

SLVMC member Nima Sange and Namsai DC RK Sharma also spoke.

Wangsa and Sange along with officers concerned later visited FPS’ and interacted with the FPS dealers and beneficiaries.