Jamshedpur: Beneficiaries stage protest at DC office over 5-Month ration delay

Jamshedpur: Approximately 600 residents in Kashidih village, Belajudi Panchayat, Jamshedpur, facing a five-month ration delay, express frustration and accuse PDS dealer Jagdish Chandra Murmu of foul play in distribution. The aggrieved cardholders marched to the Deputy Commissioner’s office on Wednesday, demanding immediate intervention.

Chronology of Events: The beneficiaries had previously reported the issue during the ‘Aapki Sarkar Aapki Camp’ at Narga Panchayat Mandap on November 29. BDO promised action within 15 days. Shortly after the complaint, Trilochan Mahato, a PDS dealer from Gaulkata village, informed villagers of the license suspension of Jagdish Chandra Murmu. Villagers, tagged to Mahato’s shop, discovered irregularities when collecting ration, as Mahato distributed only one month’s ration using Murmu’s login ID.

Protest and Demands: Angered by the discrepancies, villagers protested, questioning how a suspended dealer’s ID was operational. Jharkhand agitator Demka Soy, rallying with the villagers at the Deputy Commissioner’s office, demands action against SOR and MO officials, suggesting that such a scam could not occur without departmental complicity. The protest highlights the urgent need for an investigation into the alleged misconduct in the ration distribution system.