From http://www.loksattamovement.in/Monitoring_ration_shops.

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Monitoring of ration shops

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Index
Fair price shops (Ration Shops)are run by licensed dealers selected by the government authorities. the ration shop dealers must not hold any other business. The dealers must not hold any elective office like sarpanch, Mandal Parishad Member etc. The dealers must not be relatives of any government employees, especially those from Revenue or Civil supplies Department. These shops dupply all essential commodities to the ration card holders. These commodities to the ration card holders. These commodities in turn are supplied by the government to the ration shops. All these commodities must be supplied in the quantities prescribed by the government at the controlled prices The controlled prices as on 15 - 09 - 1998 are as follows
Commodity Subsidized rice (White Cards) Rice (Pink Cards) Wheat (All Cards) Sugar (All Cards) Kerosene (All Cards) Palm Oil ( All Cards) Price Rs.3-50/- Kg. Rs.7.50/- Kg. Rs.5.00/- Kg. Rs.11-40/-Kg. Rs.30-00/- Kg. Rs.34-00/ Kg (loose) Rs.34-00/ Litre (Pounch) (One litre Palm oil weighs 910 gms. only. The extra cost is for the packing)

The following must be displayed by the dealers. Sign Board showing timings and number of White and Pink Cards Stocks of all commodities Prices of all commodities Quantities to be given on each card Key register - showing details of all cardholders

The citizens have a duty to monitor the ration shops and make sure that stocks, prices, and number of cards are properly displayed. Any cardholder can verify the Key Register. If there are bogus names, or if the names of dead or migrated persons are not deleted, they should bring it to the notice of the dealer and nearest MRO/ASO. If people with higher incomes are given white cards, that fact should be reported to the MRO/ASO/other officials. For every village, there is a Food Advisory Committee (FAC) with Sarpanch as Chairman and Revenue Inspector (RI) and others as members. For every Mandal, there is a FAC with RDO / Sub- Collector as Chairman, Mandal President, Zilla Parishad member etc as Members. For every district there is a Fac with Collector as chairman, and Zilla Parishad Chairman, MLAs and others as Members.

There can be irregularities in ration shops as fallows: Display of cards, stock, prices etc not made Shop timings not displayed Timings not followed Quantities not given according to scale prescribed, or commodities not sold at all Key Register (details of cards) not available Key Register contains false names / absentee names Key Register shows higher income families having white cards Measurements and weights are not proper Higher prices are changed

In case of these or other complaints, the local FAC at village and Mandal Level should be informed immediately with all details. Vigilance(Civil Supplies) officials also have jurisdiction over these matters, and can be informed of irregularities. In Hyderabad City, the Chief Rationing Officer is the official dealing with ration shops. Every month, the following quantities are sold through ration shops in Andhra Pradesh. Subsidize Rice: 1,90,000 tones Rice on Pink Cards: 20,000 tonnes (in Urban areas) Wheat: 11,000 tonnes Sugar : 28,000 tonnes Kerosine: 72,000 Kilo litres Palm Oil: 7,000 litres There are huge subsidies on all essential commodities. Subsidy on rice alone Rs.712 crores per year. All other subsidies put together amount to about Rs. 1500 crores. We should make sure that the benefit goes to the needy poor people and to the citizens, and not to black marketers. To prevent diversion, blue coloured kerosene is supplied through ration shops. If blue kerosine is seen anywhere else, it should be reported to the FAC or concerned officials.

Ration Cards ...... You can also download the Declaration Form

Index
Andhra Pradesh has an extensive network of public distribution system. There are about 113 lakh white cards for the poor and 51 lakh pink ration cards.

A family with an annual income below Rs. 11,000 is entitled to a white card. Only those families with less than 1.5 acres of wet land under tanks or 3 acres of dry land with commercial crops are eligible for white cards. A family with an annual income above Rs. 11,000 will get a pink card. Cardholders can draw the following commodities from the ration shops every month according to present guidelines.

Commodity Subsidized Rice Rice(UrbanAreas) (Non-subsidy) Sugar

White Card 4 Kg/head (maximum 20 Kg/card)

Pink Card -

4Kg/head Max.20Kg/card

1-3 Kgs/card depending on the area upto 30 Kgs 1 Kg/card

upto 5 Kg/carddepending on the area upto 30 kgs

Wheat Palmolein Oil

1 Kg/card (loose) 1 Lt./card (pounch) 3-10 Lt./card

Kerosene

3 to 23 Liters/card

Uses of ration card are many o Supply of essential commodities from ration shops o Application for passport o Application for driving license o Proof of residence o Enrolment as voters o Application for many certificates o Proof of identity o Special medical assistance for the poor o To obtain LP gas connection

How to Obtain a Ration Card The card issuing authority is the Assistant Supply Officer(ASO) in Hyderabad and other cities. In all other areas, the MRO is the competent authority. The application form called "Declaration Form" can be obtained from the ASO or MRO. (Declaration Form ). This Declaration Form is free of cost. You will have fill out the form carefully. You will have to enclose one or more of the following documents as proof of residence and income. o Property tax receipts o Electricity charge receipts o Water tax receipts o Running bank account pass book o Income certificate from employer (where possible)

The MRO or ASO will then verify the application and the documents furnished before issuing the card. You should cooperate fully with official during verifications. There are already more white ration cards meant for the poor than the actual requirement. In various districts 80-90 % of the population is covered by white cards - well beyond the requirement. Poverty figures show that only 30-40% of the people are regarded as poor in various pockets of the State. There is huge subsidy by the state on supply of rice to white card holders. Therefore it is difficult to obtain a new white card. If there is valid ground, obtaining pink card is relatively easy. If you are migrating to another village or town or city, you must surrender the old ration card to the MRO, and obtain a ' No Card Certificate'. This must be presented to0 the ASO/MRO at your new place of residence along with the Declaration Form. If you are separating from your family and living on your own-on marriage or migration, your name must be deleted from the parent card, and the ' Declaration Certificate' must be presented to the ASO/MRO concerned. You must not encourage false claims for White Ration Cards. The subdidy that is given on rice or other commodities on ration cards is your tax money. If there are any bogus ration cards, or cards with ineligible persons , it is your duty to report to the ASO/MRO concerned.
Item 1. Deletion of name 2.Inclusion of name 3.Change in address within the same ration shop area 4.Change in address with change of shop 5.Issue of Surrender Certificate on transfer or migration 6. New ration card with surrender certificate etc. Time Limit Same day on presentation of proof With in 7 days Authority M.R.O. or ASO(in Hyd.Vizag,Vijayawada) MRO/ASO

Same day

MRO/ASO

With in 7 days

MRO/ASO

Same day

MRO/ASO

Within 7 days

MRO/ASO

7. New ration card in case of change of 2 weeks the state

MRO/ASO

Service standards for Fair Price Shops in tamilnadu

Fair Price Shops provide essential commodities to family card holders under PDS. The following are the service standards applicable to Fair Price Shops: Fair Price Shops have been established to ensure that no cardholder has to walk beyond 2 km in any village or location. The Government is willing to open part-time shops where the FPS is farther than 1.5 km.

 Full time Fair Price Shops shall be open on all days except Government holidays and on Sundays - the weekly holiday declared by the Government. In Nilgris district and Valparai area, Friday is the weekly holiday. All FPS shall be kept open during the working hours as below:

a)

Chennai city and its belt areas

Morning 8.30 a.m to 12.30 p.m

Evening 3.00 p.m to 7.00 p.m b) Other areas Morning 9.00 a.m to 1.00 p.m

Evening 2.00 p.m to 6.00 p.m The salesman shall sell commodities only during the above working hours. Commodities have to be given by each FPS in any number of installments as desired by cardholders Stock of each commodity available shall be written on the stock board kept outside each FPS every morning Samples of each commodity available shall be kept in display in the front desk for viewing Commodities received below acceptable quality (FAQ Fair Average Quality) or commodities whose quality deteriorated after receipt shall NOT be sold to cardholders. Salesmen shall behave courteously with cardholders and answer their queries patiently and clearly. In case, the salesman has to leave a shop due to certain emergencies, he shall keep the cardholders notified through the notice board of the next opening time of the shop. In case of part time shops, the notice board of the FPS shall display the days and time of the shop opening each week. The salesman shall NOT compel cardholders to buy non-PDS commodities sold through FPS. The salesman shall indent commodities in time and ensure that there is no stock out period in the FPS

 All FPS will be provided Electronic Weighing Machines (EWM) by July 2008. FPS salesmen shall weigh and measure commodities correctly without any error or wrongful intent. FPS salesmen shall record the date and quantities of each PDS commodity purchased by cardholders clearly and without any error in the family card. No cardholder shall be kept waiting unnecessarily and shall be serviced within 30 minutes at the latest.

Who can cardholders call if there is a problem in the FPS ?

Any grievance about services provided by Fair Price Shops may be informed to any of the following: Assistant Commissioner (Chennai City) or Taluk Supply Officer over their mobile phones Cooperative Sub-Registrar of the area concerned Deputy

Commissioner or District Supply and Consumer Protection Officer of the district concerned
Joint Registrar or Deputy Registrar (PDS) of the District concerned through the District Control Room District

Collector

Commissioner, Civil Supplies through the online grievance registration system