Unable to elicit any positive response from the Nitish govt, co-operators have knocked at the door of Patna High Court on the issue of cancellation of PDS license of 4000 PACCS in the state of Bihar.
“Cooperators including Ramesh Chandra Chaubey, Satyendra Narayan Singh, Jeetendra Kumar, Mahesh Rai and many others had written a letter to the govt but to no avail. In a video conference held three days back we had decided that if the govt does not listen to us, we will have no option but to go to the court”, said Dr Sunil Singh, Biscomaun Chairman and the man who is spearheading the protest.
“Y V Giri, senior Advocate has submitted our petition and luckily it has been admitted by the Honourable Court”, informed Sunil.
Alleging that the whole thing has started in the wake of the distribution of grains under the PM PM Garib Anna Yojna, Sunil said there is an effort to benefit some private traders at the cost of PACS. He alleged involvement of some officials of Bihar in the matter.
It bears recall that for three months beginning April, rice, atta and dal are being distributed to each state under the PM Garib Anna Yojna. The doubt in the minds of co-operators arose because the PDS licenses of PACCS have been cancelled just for three months- a fact which compels the conclusion that there is something fishy about the govt decision.
Meanwhile, the issue is slowly acquiring the shape of a public protest with several Chairmen of these co-ops threatening to hit the street against the state govt’s arbitrary act.
It was jointly announced by the Chairmen of different PACCs including Yoginath Mishra, Chairman of PACCs in Benipatti, Praveen Kumar Jha of Navkarhi, Vivek Kumar Rai of the Teontha and Dilip Kumar Jha of Parjuar. The Government orders of wheat procurement will be boycotted collectively. These PACCs fall in Madhubani district of Bihar.
PACS President Yoginath Mishra said that the government’s decision to suspend PACS license for three months is undemocratic. They demanded that the government should immediately withdraw the suspension orders.
Earlier, Biscomaun Director Ram Kalewar Singh had demanded that the government should withdraw the order for suspension. In this regard, in a letter sent to the Chief Minister, he has requested the govt. to withdraw the decision in the interest of farmers and PACCs. It is said that this decision is the result of a big conspiracy. Wheat purchase may be affected if it is not withdrawn, he added.
However, the government said they are focusing on increasing the wheat procurement target from 2 lakh metric tons to seven lakh metric tons in the current year and have directed PACCs to focus on procurement.
The beneficiaries associated with them have been ordered to take their monthly quota from the nearby PDS shops. The card holders are facing unnecessary trouble due to the fight between the state government and PACCs societies.