– Ration distributor Tara Chand Kapse involved in malpractices, stealing allocated ration of handicapped persons and other consumers, possibly involved in black marketing of grains?
Nagpur – After the road construction scandal that NT 24×7 highlighted a few days ago, another scandal which is swindling and stealing of ration consumers by the ration Distributor TaraChand Kapse, has come into light. This time the person who brought this into light is a 60% physically handicapped person who has been allocated an Antodaya ration card (specially issued to handicapped persons also) Under the Antodaya scheme of PDS the consumer with Antodaya card gets 15 kg of extra grains over and above the regular quota. This handicapped woman’s actual quota is total of 50 kgs (35 kg of grains = 25 kg rice and 10 kg wheat plus 15 kg extra under Antodaya scheme which is 10 kg rice and 5 kg wheat. for these additional 15 kg the consumer under Antodaya scheme ration card does not have to pay for the extra 15 kg grain, its free.)
The complainant was availing the ration for the first time as she recently got her ration card. Obviously, the process and other details of the ration distribution wasn’t known to her or the family member, except for the fact that they will get 50 kg ration under the Antodaya scheme.
When the family member went there to collect the ration in a hurry (because the ration distributor opens the ration shop only for two days in a month, and those who fail to go there to collect their quota during those two days, they do not get any ration for that month. So obviously there is lot of turmoil at the ration distribution center during those two days. The family member asked TaraChand about the additional 15 kg so TaraChand Kapse said that you are not eligible for it now. The Govt has stopped that scheme long ago. Not only this he also fooled the family member by giving just 24 kg rice instead of 25 kg sanctioned rice stating that since 1 kg sugar was given so 1 kg rice was deducted, but the game here was that he charged the consumer for the sugar also, but cunningly cheated him of 1 kg rice. The consumer was new to the distribution system and did not realize that he was just cheated of his rights.
Since the Ration Distributor TaraChand Kapse does not give bills, and nobody from the village ask for the bill since most of them are illiterate or less informed, they simply put their thumb on the biometric machine, without even knowing what actually their rightful quota allocation and they is are not getting it, but the ration distributor enters the entire quantity as distributed to the unsuspecting and innocent consumer.
In this case of the complainant, TaraChand Kapse played the same dirty trick and did not give bill to the consumers family member. However, somebody was able to click the photo and video of the grain being weighed as 24 kg and not 25 kg as was charged. The complainant after realizing that she was not given the full quantity and to verify the false claim of TaraChand Kapse, called Zilla Parishad Garmin ration department officer Mahesh Thakur and asked him about her Antodaya scheme allocation quota. She was told that she should get 50 kg of grains and 1 kg sugar (only 15 kg grain will be free). The handicapped victim of this cheating then checked the allocated ration and found out that she was cheated for 16 kg grain, as the ration distributor TaraChand Kapse entered 50 kg as allocated quantity on the Govt portal AePDS (Aadhar enabled Public distribution system).
The family member of the cheated handicapped consumer went to TaraChand Kapse and asked him (whole drama was then captured as a video and a proof) that how much ration was issued and what was entered by him as issued in AePDS. To this Tarachand pretending to be very innocent said that he entered only 25 kg, to this the family member argued to give him the bill for the quantity issued.
The ration distributor then tried in vain to print a duplicate bill after trying hard for more than 20 minutes, then started looking for the bill from the pool of bills lying on the ground. Again, wasting another 30 minutes or so, the family member of the physically challenged consumer got the bill of 25 kg and I kg sugar (all images are attached here in this article).
Much drama ensued later on (all of it was video graphed by the family member of the consumer, the distributor then went to the consumers house to seek her pardon and pressurized her to not to complaint and also boasted about his links and family relations with the Collector and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He even tried to issue her 50 kg rice every month free of cost noticing that the handicapped consumer was taking care of 15 stray dogs at her home. He also offered cash help to her, but all his offers(bribe) were politely refused by the complainant. The complainant then filed a complaint verbally with the PDS Garmin department, but nothing happened and the matter was hushed up as usual.
The story doesn’t end here, because then the complainant started to call and remind TaraChand Kapse for her ration that he had swindled and hadn’t issued despite making an entry in the AePDS. Tarachand kept on giving excuses and said that will give it in the next ration cycle.
Since the next Ration cycle is after 30 days from the date of last ration issue date that was 15th of December 2022, again the physically handicapped women started calling the ration distributor after 15th January 2023 on a regular basis, who now claimed that new stock for distribution has arrived a few days back but due to marriage in his family he was unable to distribute the monthly ration for the month of January 2023 .Till the time this article was published the needy people at Lonara are still waiting for their ration. And are totally relying on the mercy of the Ration distributor TaraChand Kapse to finish his family marriage function.
The complainant has informed NT that she tried to contact the Honorable Collector on his mobile phone and also sent a whats app message (since she is 60 % physically handicapped with major walking issues) but a response from the Collector is awaited by her.
It is really saddening and heart breaking to see people who are already having physical and financial problems are being harassed even more by the physically fit and people with Power, authority and responsibility.
Will the consumers of PDS get their rightful allocation of ration and whether the culprits will be penalized by the administration is now a matter to be seen?
It may be noted that the same ration distributor TaraChand Kapse has licenses for other villages too. It is said that he distributes ration for Bailwada and other villages too. So, the question is whether is he involved in such malpractices elsewhere also???
