AIDWA demonstration at Food Commissioner's office

New Delhi. All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), Delhi held a demonstration at the office of the Commissioner (Food and Supplies) today near ITO.

Hundreds of women from all over Delhi, many in spite of suffering from chikungunya took part in the demonstration shouting slogans such as

'ration vitran mein dhandli band karo;

2 rupye ki dar se 35 kilo anaaj dena hoga;

ration dukano par daalen, tel, ityadi uplabd karao...'

The women demanded that the PDS system be streamlined. Many of them spoke and shared their tales of the plethora of problems they face at the ration shops, with Food Officers etc. The shops do not open regularly, food grains are not available always, all the members of the household are not listed, issues with name-addition, moratorium on new cards and so on.

Sehba Farooqui, AIDWA National Secretary spoke about the policies of the Central government which favoured the rich and imposed more hardships on the people.

Asha Sharma, AIDWA Delhi Gen Secretary said that some states do provide subsidy from their budget but Delhi government has failed to do so.

Almost all the secretariat members shared their experiences.

A delegation met the Special Commissioner (F&S), who was hardly forthcoming on any of our demands. He passed the buck on to either the Central and/or the State government.

Maimoona Mollah, President, in her concluding remarks said that both the governments have made it a policy decision to not ease the burden of the toiling people.

The demonstration then ended with the resolve to continue our struggle for a better life for the poor and marginalised sections of our society.
Full text of memo.

Ref./क्रमांक: JMS/FoodComm/2016-03
Date/दिनांक: 28/09/2016

Commissioner (F&S),

Food and Supplies Department,

K-Block, Vikas Bhavan,

I.P. Estate, New Delhi 110002

Sir,

This is to bring to your notice the hardships that the people of Delhi are facing due to exorbitant rise in prices of essential commodities.

The National Food Security Act which was meant to provide what its name suggests – food security – does not live up to its name. A Delhi government gesture – of providing essential commodities at subsidised rates - could have served as balm for the hardships. But both – the Central and the State governments – seem unconcerned about the problems of the people.

Since we work among the people of Delhi in resettlement and unauthorised colonies and JJ areas, we know of the problems people face with the Public Distribution System. Hence, we demand the following:

Lift the moratorium on the issuance of new ration cards.

Ensure that modification to the cards, such as addition of names, is done promptly.
Ensure that ration is disbursed within a month after modification – sometimes it takes 2 months for resumption of supply to cardholders.

Provide at least 35 kg of food grains at the rate of Rs. 2/kg.

Provide other essential commodities, such as dals, cooking oil and kerosene, sugar on subsidised rates through fair price shops.
Ensure that technology introduced is thoroughly tested – when biometric machines break down, disbursal of ration is affected. Also ensure in such cases disbursal is not stopped.
Very often when the card holder is unable to fetch the ration, she loses the quota for that period. Hence, ensure that ration is supplied to any of the persons listed on the card.
Ensure that the rations shops are not too far from the residence – often when a new shop opens, the beneficiaries are allocated arbitrarily causing hardships.

Ensure the shops open regularly – their timings be displayed outside the shops in bold.

Ensure that the list of available food grains with rates is displayed outside the shop.
Issue BPL cards to unorganised sector workers – domestic workers, home-based workers, construction workers.

Asha Sharma

General Secretary

Maimoona Mollah

President

Hastakshep