Dimapur, Sep. 2 (EMN): The Nagaland Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum (NPRAAF) has alleged anomalies in the distribution of food grains from the National Food Security Act of 2013 (NFSA) in the state.
In a statement that was issued on Sunday, the group stated that the existing Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households, which constitute the poorest of the poor, receive 35 kg of food grains per household per month. “Nagaland receives 16,625 metric ton (MT) annually with monthly allocation of 1385 MT (19 lakh kg per month) and from PHH (Priority Household) Nagaland receives 76,331 MT with monthly allocation of 6360 MT (40 lakh kg per month).
“However, to utter shock of NPRAAF it was found that in most villages in Nagaland, AAY reach the beneficiaries only once in 2 or 3 months and there has been some instances where the rice is sold to the beneficiaries at a higher price in the village. The identified household under the scheme are entitled 35 kg per month. However it was found that in most villages NPRAAF interacted AAY scheme is not known,” read the statement.
In many villages, it stated, families receive rice under PHH which is about 3 or 4 kg per person once in two or three months ‘which is in violation of NFSA guidelines.’ Even if each district in Nagaland were to receive one lakh kg each of rice under AAY, the group stated, Nagaland cannot use up more than 13 lakh kg in aggregate.
“Even under Dimapur district, most villages receive 25+25 = 50 kg per household once in two months under AAY which is also in violation of GoI guidelines. It is also shocking that thousands of beneficiaries are non-Nagas even though on paper it shows utilisation of 602.90 quintal under AAY and 10284.90 quintal under PHH covering population of 295779 ( two lakh ninety five thousand seven hundred seventy nine ) which has registered 54818 (fifty four thousand eight hundred eighteen) ration card holders with their Aadhar card as per record.
“The most interesting recent development is that the village leaders were asked to hurriedly sign on a piece of blank paper and over a revenue stamp where above was written acknowledgement of having received unspecified (blank) amount of cash by the department officials. The village leaders were also made to sign inbox (sic) of column 9 and 10 of a particular document, without explaining the contents on the pretext of urgency requirement (sic) of their signatures. The act of the officials was illegal, and liable under section 8 and 9 of prevention of corruption Act 1988 which is punishable with jail term and imprisonment,” it stated.
The Nagaland government also receives a monthly allocation of ‘levy sugar’ of around 1179 MT and seven rakes of iodised salt (one rake carries 2,500 tonne of salt) annually, it informed.
“However, NPRAAF established that even in districts hardly four times of levy sugar was distributed in two years, however in many villages distribution of levy sugar is unknown. In spite of more than requirement supply in quantity each month, distribution of iodised salt is unknown even in districts.”
The government of Nagaland also receives 1425 kilolitre of superior kerosene oil (SKO) per month, it informed. But families receive on two to four litres ‘after every two to three months’, it alleged.
“It is also worth mentioning that the government of Nagaland also identified 6727 thousand beneficiaries to be covered through Annapurna Scheme. The scheme is implemented by the ministry of Rural Development (RD). Indigent senior citizens of 65 years of age or above who are not getting pension under old age pension scheme (NOAPS) are provided 10 kilogram of food grains per person per month free of cost under the scheme, yet, number of beneficiaries are few or the government exaggerated the number of beneficiaries,” the group stated.
