WHAT ARE RATIONS ?
Rations are the monthly quotas of certain essential commodities distributed at special rates to ration card holders by the goverment under the Public Distribution System (PDS). Rations are essential for people with limited incomes. The purpose of the Public Distribution System is to exercise some control over prices of essential food grains and commodities. For adivasis and people living below the poverty line, the goverment subsidises the cost of essential commodities, thus further reducing Prices for these sections.
RATIONING RULES AND CARD HOLDERS RIGHTS
1. THE WEEKLY QUOTE IS NOT FORFEITED IF NOT PURCHASED: For the convenience of consumer who cannot buy the fortnightly quote at one time, purchase of rations on a weekly basic is permitted. If a card holder cannot purchase his rations in the first fortnight of a month, he can do so in the second. Sugar is available owing to shortage or strikes by shopkeepers, truckers or godown employees in a particular month, these quotas will be made available in the next month by the government.
2. DISPLAY OF SAMPLES: Samples of food grains, etc are to be displayed in sealed plastic bags. The general impression that rations are of poor quality is not correct.They have to be clean. The state goverment is supposed to lift stocks from the Food Corporation of India only after proper examination. It does not accept spoilt stocks. If the grains are of bad quality you have a right to complain and have then exchanged. Samples of the available food grains have to be displayed in the ration shops in sealed plastic bags bearing the number of the godown and the date of delivery. The card holder can compare the quote given to him with the sample in the bag and ensure that he is given the same quality. If samples are displayed in plates you could be cheated.
3. ENSURE THAT YOU GET A RECEIPT: The receipt is yellow in colour and in simple language. If the figures are not clear ask the shopkeeper to write them down legibly. The receipt should give the date of purchase, details of the rations supplied and the number of the ration shop in Marathi only. There is no rule that the ration can be purchased only once a day. You may make more purchase separately on the same day.
If the shopkeeper has no change, ask him to write the amount due on the back of your receipt and to sign below so that the amount can be adjusted against your next bill.
4. You are entitled to buy only the commodities you require. The shopkeeper cannot insist that you buy Wheat or rice in order to get your quota of kerosene or sugar.
5. A fee of Rs.5/- is charged for new card. The fee for replacement of a lost card is Rs.10/-. There is no charge for issuing a temporary card, or for adding or deleting names in the ration card.
6. When applying for a new card or adding names to a card, verification will be carried out after your application is received and the card will be made available within 10 days.
7. To obtain a ration card, applicants do not need to have a fixed residence. Tenants, sub-tenants, pavement dwellers, temporary construction workers, contract labours and hostels can all obtain ration cards after inspection to verify produce a “no objection” certificate from the owner of the premises.
8. If a card holder is moving from one Locality of greater Mumbai to another, there is no need to surrender his card. A slip giving the address of the rationoing office for the new residence, reference number and the number of the new ration shop (ARS No.) will be attached to his ration card by the rationing office. The card holder should first go to his change of residence; the officer in change will guide him regarding the steps to be taken.
9. If the card holder is moving to mumbai from districts or from outside the state, he will have to get a surrender slip from his old rationing office and present it at the new rationing office. If the card holder did not have a ration card in his former home he will have to get a certificate from the ‘talathi’ of his district to this effect. In case where documentary evidence cannot be produced, the Rationing Inspector will inspect the home, verify the statement of the applicant and issue a temporary card.
10. Card holders should not be intimated by threats made by the shopkeeper. He has no powers to seize, change or cancel their cards.
INFORMATION TO BE DISPLAYED
The ration shop has to display:
a. The registration number of the ration shop (ARS No.).
b. The number, address and phone number of the ration office.
c. The inspector’s name and the time of his weekly visit.
d. The stock position of all rationed commodities in units.
e. The official price list.
f. The total number of ration cards registered with the shop.
g. The total number of units.
A complaints book has to be available to card holders.
HOW TO GET A RATION CARD
You can obtain an application from for ration cards from your ration office or district office on payment of Re.1/- There are three types cards, Yellow, orange and white. The yellow cards are given to families below the poverty line, i.e. those having an annual income between Rs.15,000/- and Rs.1 Lakh. Those families having an annual income of over Rs.1 Lakh are given white cards.
THE RURAL SECTOR
In rular Maharashtra the Addl. District Collector is in over all charge of the P.D.S but the District Supply Officer operates on his behalf. At the taluka level the Tehsildar heads the rationing operations. There is a head clerk to assist him and a rationing inspector who is charge of 100-125 villages. Hence, it is impossible for the inspector to physically inspect them often. In rural areas, card holders obtain Kerosene from authorised kerosene suppliers. The Chairman of various co-operative societies are required to certify that the quota given to the shop has been properly distributed before a fresh quota is supplied.
HOW TO LODGE A COMPLAINT
Quite often, kerosene, Wheat and rice are not available or the sugar is less than 500 grams. People wish to complain against the shopkeeper but are afraid that he may be abusive or confiscate their card. At such times to whom should one complain? First, one should ask for the complaint book in the ration shop and enter the complaint in the book. Then inspector examines the book every time he visits the shop. If the inspector does not redress your complaint, you should complaint to the tehsilder/rationing officer. If there is still no action complain to the Collector/Addl. Collector or District Supply Officer / Controller of Rationing. Regarding Policy matters, suggestions or complaints should be sent to the Secretary, Department of foods Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs or to the Minister. To ensure implementation of the rules and assert one’s rights is difficult for one person, hence it is necessary to from local organisations of ration card holders. Local groups, women’s groups and party branches should take the lead in solving card holder’s problems. For this complaints redressal committees need to be set up. Card holder, ration shopkeepers and ration inspector should be member of this committees.
Such a committee could be for one ration shop or for 4 – 5 ration shops jointly. Problems that cannot be solved by the committee can be referred to the Controller or the Department. The PDS covers all of Maharashtra. Rationing Problems affect everyone from city dwellers to adivasis. it is essential that those oganisations which are working on behalf of cards holders should come together in the form of a federation to ensure proper working of the PDS.