Malda heaves a sigh of relief, but not S Dinajpur

Statesman News Service

MALDA/BALURGHAT, Oct. 25: While ration dealers in Malda district softened their stand today, things went out of control at Idrakpur under Balurghat police station area in South Dinajpur district where locals gheraoed a modified ration dealer, Mr Arun Choudhury, over alleged irregular supply of foodgrain.Members of the Malda Ration Dealers' Association today decided to open the ration shops from next week. They submitted memorandums to the district magistrate and the superintendent of police, seeking proper security. "We want to serve the people by maintaining public distribution system. The district administration, however, should look into our problems. The chief minister who functions from Kolkata would not be able to provide us security. Hence, the district administration has to take care of our safety and security," said Mr Pramod Ghosh, the district secretary of Malda MR Dealers' Association. The association today decided to renew its demands for transportation cost and mileage rebate system to make up the losses ration dealers had suffered during the stalemate."There is a general system of payment of Rs 10 for carrying foodgrain (APL) per quintal from source point (MR distributors' house) to a ration shop. However, we are not getting additional transportation cost of 57 paise for extra per km which was declared earlier by the government," Mr Ghosh, said. Meanwhile, residents of Idrakpur under Balurghat police station gheraoed a modified ration dealer, Mr Arun Choudhury, yesterday demanding full quota of foodgrain. They alleged that the dealer had been depriving them of their allotted quota of foodgrain and siphoning a part.The police had to intervene to bring the situation under control and the dealer had to give an assurance in black and white that he would be fulfilling the quotas henceforth. In a similar incident at Swaralbati of Vikahar under Tapan police station, the police had to intervene to control the people who were in a belligerent mood over alleged PDS controversy in their area. The district administration sent a deputy magistrate in the area and after inspection he detected imbalance in the stock shown by a dealer Md Rahimuddin Miah.The dealer's security deposit has been frozen and an inquiry into the alleged misappropriation of foodgrains has been launched.