WARANGAL: The idea of a public distribution system (PDS) is to provide basic commodities at subsidised prices to poor beneficiaries.However, in Warangal Rural and Urban districts, the ration shop dealers reportedly force customers to buy commodities, such as oil, pulses, sugar, soaps, and detergent, that are not part of the essentials supplied by the Civil Supplies Department.
If the beneficiaries refuse to buy them, sources say the dealers would send them away by making excuses -- a malfunctioning e-POS machine or a glitch in the biometric system. Shockingly, it is learnt that the dealers also sell items at prices much higher than the MRP.
The department had introduced a scheme under which ration card holders can avail their benefits from any PDS shop in the state. They can buy their monthly essentials from ration dealers as well. However, in the rural areas, a village would usually have only one ration dealer to buy commodities from.
V Bhagyamma, a PDS beneficiary at Veleru, said, "Every month, I get about 24 kg of rice for Rs 24. But the dealer is forcing cardholders to buy items, such as oil, pulses, salt, soaps, detergent, and sugar, that are not essential commodities. They are also selling them at high prices. If we refuse to purchase them, the dealer would ask us to visit another shop. As a result, we have no option but to purchase their products."
She added that the dealers sold commodities that were of poor quality and manufactured by unauthorised companies. "The officials have turned a blind eye towards the problem," said Bhagyamma.