VIJAYAWADA: The State Vigilance and Enforcement (V&E) filed as many as 4,764 cases against errant traders, including edible oil merchants, Public Distribution System (PDS) rice traders, fair price shop operators, pulses and other commodities, seed and fertiliser traders and fish and meat traders in the past one year.
According to officials, various teams of the Vigilance department along with Civil supplies and Legal Metrology department booked 2,921 cases against 10,354 oil trading establishments during raids under relevant sections of Essential Commodities Act, Legal Metrology Act, FSSAI Act and other sections of IPC for indulging in illegal business practices such as illegal hoarding of the stocks and adulteration. “The officials during their inspections in all the 26 districts across the State identified the irregularities and booked cases and seized 1,829 metric tonnes of edible oil. In addition to this, the department also registered another 1,134 cases against fair price shop traders, fuel stations and gas agencies,” Director General (DG) Shanka Bratha Bagchi told TNIE. He further stated that the department was primarily focused on the issues creating hardships to people.
Explaining the measures taken to benefit the farmer community, Vigilance officials proposed filing cases under criminal sections for violating rules for selling seeds, fertilisers and insecticides. “We have received complaints from the public, especially farmers community, over the irregularities. As many as 68 cases under section 6 A of Essential Commodities Act, 1955 were registered and more than `3 crore worth fertilisers were seized,” the DG added.
The vigilance officials also conducted raids on shops situated in bus stations, temples, and tourist places in order to control the traders from charging excess prices from the public. “It is a common phenomena that shops situated at temples and other tourist places charge extra from visitors. Based on the complaints over the same, vigilance officials carried out enforcement drives and ensured no extra money was collected by traders on items like water bottles and other goods. We took help from the Legal Metrology department and filed 209 cases against the errant traders,” he explained.
The department conducted raids on 522 shops across the State and filed a total of 364 cases for supplying less quantity and poor quality meat. Not just the oil traders, they conducted inspections on Rythu Bharosa Kendrams, social welfare hostels, YSR Jagananna housing colonies, non-judicial stamp vendors, implementation of mid-day meals scheme, Jagananna Vidya Kanuka, Anganwadi centres, government hospitals and water plants. “All the concerned traders and establishments were served notices to rectify and ensure no illegal practices,” he said.
Govt hospitals inspected by sleuths
Vigilance & Enforcement sleuths inspected various hospitals across the State on Wednesday. They recommended concerned officials to take action against officers for committing lapses. They served notices on rectification of shortcomings in order to ensure services to the public. Nearly 39 hospitals were inspected and found management failed to maintain the ambulances, security lapses and other irregularities. “A detailed report will be sent to officials concerned on rectification of shortcomings in operation and maintenance of government hospitals in the State,” said DG Shanka Bratha Bagchi.