A swift intervention under the CM CONNECT initiative has helped residents of a village in South West Khasi Hills avail PDS ration under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
Residents of Koraibari village in the Ranikor area had complained to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma about not receiving their monthly rations from the concerned Fair Price Shop (FPS) dealer.
According to an official statement from the Chief Minister’s office, Lipson Ch. Sangma, the FPS dealer at the centre of the controversy, had allegedly denied a group of beneficiaries their rightful ration under the Public Distribution System. Previously, factionalism and groupism in the village had led to sections of people being deprived of their entitlements.
While on a visit to the area three days ago, the Chief Minister assured strict action and assured them of justice. Director of the Supply Department, Anita Kharpor, promptly wrote to the Deputy Commissioner of South West Khasi Hills, directing an inquiry into the matter and necessary action.
The statement said on February 17, an inquiry team from the Supply Department visited the remote village and conducted a detailed on-the-spot investigation. “Upon confirmation that many beneficiaries had been deprived of their ration for one year, and in some cases two years, immediate action was taken,” it added.
Informing that the FPS dealer’s license was cancelled and was also ordered to submit all related documents, the statement said, efforts were also made to bring about reconciliation between the two warring factions in Koraibari village, ensuring a fair and just resolution for all.
The Deputy Commissioner of South West Khasi Hills has been instructed to initiate punitive action, including filing an FIR against the FPS dealer, should the deprived foodgrains not be distributed to the rightful beneficiaries.
“CM Connect has empowered our people. Today people have mastered the courage to stand up for their cause. I really feel a sense of satisfaction that our people today are able to get their problem resolved, and the channel for the redressal of their grievance has been through CM Connect”, the chief minister said.
He further said that as a politician he receives different petitions and memorandum from the public in person, however, it is practically not possible for him or the people to raise their concern. He said that CM Connect was conceptualised to provide a platform to the citizens to be heard and their problems addressed.
“While it may not be possible to address all the problems, it is our humble beginning to give an opportunity to the citizens to make themself heard and raise their voice”, he said adding, in the past one year, the government has been able to resolve a number of grievances and concerns.
Commissioner & Secretary Food and Civil Supplies Department Pravin Bakshi said, “Food and Civil Supplies Department is trying its best to ensure transparency in PDS distribution so that no eligible beneficiaries are deprived. Foodgrains distribution through ePOS devices is an important step to ensure beneficiaries get an automated receipt for their ration allocation. Regular inspections are being done”.
Locals have lauded the intervention of the Chief Minister for quickly responding to the grievances. “We are grateful to CM sir for his timely intervention. We could not believe that in just two days after complaining officials came to our village, verified the complaint and immediately cancelled the dealership licence. We are now getting our entitlement,” secretary of the village said.
According to the statement, since its inception in February 2024, CM Connect has redefined the way citizens engage with the government, enhancing accessibility and responsiveness.
Through the initiative, the government has engaged with over 50,000 citizens, provided guidance to over 12,000 individuals on various government schemes, addressed close to 2,700 citizen grievances, resolved close to 1,127 cases and got a 93.5 per cent satisfaction rate among surveyed citizens.
