If Chief Minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy, launches a scheme, there is a scam behind it, observed TDP general secretary, Nara Lokesh, on Friday.
The Mobile Dispensing Unit (MDU) vehicles to deliver the ration at door-step have been purchased with Rs 536 cr only for commissions, Lokesh said and added that Rs 250 cr is being paid annually as wages to the operators of the vehicles which is a sheer misuse of public funds.
Earlier, the card holders could go to the shops to buy ration when they were free, but with the MDUs in operation the card-holders have to wait till it reaches their door-step, Lokesh noted.
The representatives of State Ration Dealers Association met Lokesh at Pedapadu in Panyam Assembly segment during his Yuva Galam pada yatra on Friday and submitted a memorandum in which they said that over 29,500 ration dealers across the State have been totally dependant on the public distribution system for decades.
With the introduction of the MDU system now, which is against the provisions of the Food Security Act, that is being run parallely these dealers are losing their livelihood, they mentioned in the memorandum and demanded that the system be done away with soon after the TDP is back into ruling.
Agreeing with the ration dealers, Lokesh said that the card-holders, the ration dealers and the MDU operators are all suffering due to the introduction of this system. The TDP national leader promised to review the MDU system soon after the TDP forms the government again and a decision which will be convenient to both the card-holders and the dealers will be taken.
“We will certainly examine the possibility of transforming the ration shops as multi-service centres,” Lokesh added.
The youth of Pedapadu village, in a memorandum informed Lokesh that they are not getting sufficient water after their village is merged with the local corporation. Responding to them, Lokesh felt that if a village is merged into a corporation the facilities should improve and steps will be taken to supply the Tungabhadra water to them once the TDP is into ruling again.
