Govt to probe black-marketing by fair price shops within 8 days

TEAM HERALD

[email protected]

- Advertisement -

If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.

PANJIM: Goa government Friday announced that allegations about black-marketing by several fair price shops across the State will be inquired into within eight days.

Minister for Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Dayanand Mandrekar gave this assurance in the Assembly after Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco alleged that ‘ration shops’ were involved in black marketing and depriving needy persons of essential commodities.

The MLA cited names of two such fair price shops indulging in these malpractices. Levelling another charge, Reginaldo alleged that government had promoted a civil supplies officer despite his tainted reputation. “The inspector was promoted although he has a number of cases pending against him,” he said, terming it as a ‘scam’.

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar promptly replied, “The case is already put up for inquiry….”

Parrikar also clarified that the promotion was made by the Personnel Department and not by Civil Supplies.

Goa has a total of 501 fair price shops. In a written reply, the civil supplies minister informed the House that people holding above poverty line ration cards have to purchase rice at Rs 8.95 per kg, for below poverty line category the rate is Rs 6.15 per kg, whereas those coming under Antyodaya Anna Yojana are given rice at Rs 3 per kg. The Anapurna card holders get rice free of cost.

The abrupt transfer of a certain police inspector echoed in the House when Mandrekar commented that the officer was shunted out of Ponda Police Station after he busted a racket being carried out by a fair price shop owner at Curti. “He became a hero and was then transferred,” he said, without naming the inspector in his entire discussion.

The FP shop owner is alleged to have purchased rice from self help groups and sold it under a different brand name. After raiding the godown, the police had reported the incident to the Civil Supplies office at Ponda. The flying squad of the Civil Supplies office in Panjim was informed about it subsequently.