ITANAGAR, The All Arunachal Pradesh FPS Dealers Welfare Association (APFPSWA) has strongly denied a serious allegation made in a news content published by a digital media house ‘Space’, in which an anti-corruption association had accused FPS dealers of selling rice under the National Food Security Act and Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) by repacking it to consumers depriving genuine beneficiaries.
Earlier on December 3, a video published by the above-mentioned news page in which volunteers of an anti-corruption organization called ‘ Indigenous Movement Against Corruption and Reformation ‘ allegedly entered into an FPS shop to check irregularities, and later deputy Commissioner, Itanagar Capital Region (ICR) Talo Potom has arrived and seized and sealed the shop following a complaint by the organization.
In a press conference held at the Press Club, AAPFPSDWA General Secretary, Tarh Miri clarified that the allegations of selling rice under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) by repacking in another sack are completely baseless.
He claimed that the rice found in stock during the raid is not of National Food Security Act (NFSA) or Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) rather FPS’s stock was of “Open market” rice stock which couldn’t due to cheaper rice being provided under the two schemes available at a cheaper rate for purchase in the market.
Miri informed that there are 1662 FPS dealers in the state and the Itanagar capital region alone has 123 FPS dealers who are providing free services since November 2018 despite not getting the dealer’s margin money. The margin money has not been given since 2018 and if the stat government fail to pay the margin money the FPS in state may withdraw to sell and distribute the free ration which has been badly affected the fair price shop owners and staffs as these ration are sold on the price which has been purchased without any profit.
“FPS dealers across the state performing selfless public service by distributing free rice to the beneficiaries without expecting any profit, especially during the Covid-19 period. Many workers got exposed to the virus while distributing rice and some also died while doing it,” he grieved terming the allegations upon FPS dealer by the Anti Corruption organization as unfortunate.
“The so-called Anti-Corruption Organization has misled the Deputy Commissioner ICR with a hidden negative agenda. The leader of the organization is attempting to harass the hardworking FPS in the name of anti-corruption activities,” President, B. Vijoy of AAPFPSWA alleged.
“Show us the authorization letter to raid someone’s shop. If any cardholder has filed a complaint, show us the complaint letter as well,” he asked the anti-corruption organization adding that failure to do so within a week they may lodge an FIR lodged against the organization.
Meanwhile, the FPS dealers have requested the state government to immediately release the pending FPS dealers’ margin money and said that the capital DC has been misleaded and defaming the FPS dealers.
It further threatened to boycott the distribution of rice by NFSA and PMGKAY across the state if their demands were not met within the stipulated time.
