Minister warns erring FPS dealers of jail

Hyderabad: Fair price shop dealers in the State who were violating norms and minting money through hoarding of stocks and selling the goods in the black market would face jail term besides facing a heavy penalty, Finance Minister Eatala Rajender warned on Thursday. He also said that the Telangana government would distribute ‘Food Security Cards’ among actual beneficiaries from May 1. Eatala was addressing a press conference at the Secretariat here.

The government would purchase sugar from Nizam Sugar Factory for ration shops, he said and denied reports that the Telangana government purchased sugar from Andhra Sugars Company. Sugar tenders would be called once in three months and not six months, he said. The Minister who also holds Civil Supplies department stated that each ration card just cost Rs 5 whereas the previous governments had sold the same for Rs 15 to Rs 20. Admitting that about 15 lakhs of Food Security Cards were based on inaccurate reports, Eatala said that 91 per cent of food security cards were seeded with Aadhaar so far.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government was committed to provide food security to 2.60 crore people in the State spending Rs 2,600 crore, he said and added that the Centre would offer Rs 225 crore financial assistance to the State to supply the latest e-pass equipment to ration shops to ensure proper distribution of goods like sugar, tur dal (split red gram) and fine rice. Warning of imposing PD Act and stringent measures against illegal hoarders of ration goods, he asked the dealers of rations shops and petrol bunks to feel responsibility to deliver goods and live up to peoples’ expectations.

He slammed a section of media on reports of government reluctance to plug the loopholes in the system. About 91 per cent of ration cards were linked with Aadhaar and the government had filed cases against several fraudsters, he said. He also said that Rs 2 crore fine was slapped on three millers of tur dal for violating agreement norms. Eatala said weights and measurements department would undergo an overhaul for better services.

The Civil Supplies was not confined to ration shops and would take care of the issues related to petrol bunks, grocery and prices of essential commodities. Admitting that there were some lacunae due to irregularities and misappropriations of the previous governments, he said that the 10-month old TRS government would address all issues in a phased manner.

The Minister also said the Centre had agreed to give CST funds of Rs 7,890 crore in installment.“We asked the Centre to give better financial package and are expecting Rs 18,000 crore funds through 14th Finance Commission and relaxation of norms of Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management through extension of 3.5 per cent to 4 per cent,” he said.