State Food Minister Ashok Kirtania raided one ration shop after another in Bankura district to inspect the real picture of the public distribution system. To ensure that government aid and food supplies are reaching the common people properly, he set out from the Bankura Circuit House this morning. The minister toured extensively across Bankura Block I and various areas of Bankura town, making surprise visits to multiple ration shops to thoroughly examine the quantity and quality of the stored goods.
Notably, during the previous Left Front regime, multiple allegations of corruption were raised regarding the state's Public Distribution System (PDS). Accusations of depriving common people of their rights had sparked widespread discontent across the state at that time. Ever since the change of power in the state, the current state government has taken several landmark steps to overhaul the public distribution system and free it from the dark shadow of corruption. Special surveillance is being maintained to ensure transparency and deliver food supplies into the hands of genuine beneficiaries.
To see with his own eyes whether ordinary people are actually reaping the benefits of these measures, Food Minister Ashok Kirtania arrived in various parts of Bankura early this morning. This morning, he made sudden visits to two separate ration shops—first in Harekrishnapur village of Bankura Block I and later in the Patpur area of Bankura town. The dealers and locals were stunned to see the minister suddenly present at the shops. Without mincing any words, the minister himself opened the sacks of rice and wheat stored in the ration shops to inspect their quality and weight.
Along with inspecting the shops, the Food Minister roamed from village to village to speak directly with common consumers. As part of this inspection, he went to Dhulkumari village, met with local tribal ration consumers, and listened to their various problems. He made detailed inquiries about whether there were any irregularities in the distribution of ration goods, whether rice and wheat were being provided in the correct weight, and whether the quality of the goods was satisfactory. Furthermore, he directly learned from the consumers whether the government's decision to reintroduce wheat instead of packaged flour at ration shops was benefiting the common people.
The local common people and ration consumers were immensely pleased by such an unexpected and sudden inspection by a cabinet minister. The local people hope that if such strict surveillance and administrative promptness are maintained, there will be no scope for irregularities in ration distribution in the future, and every person in the state will not be deprived of their rightful dues.
