Date:21/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/21/stories/2008112154130300.htm

Back

Tamil Nadu - Salem

Surrender bogus family cards within 24 hours: Collector

Special Correspondent

Carries out inspection; warns employees resorting to malpractices

Employees asked to use electronic weighing machines
Drive likely to unearth bogus cards

Photo: Special arrangement

Checking the quality: Collector J. Chandrakumar (right) at a fair price shop in Salem on Wednesday. —

SALEM: Following complaints that salesmen in fair price shops are resorting to malpractices such as short supply, discarding the electronic weighing machines and supplying sub-standard quality of essential commodities etc., Collector J. Chandrakumar carried out inspections on many shops in the city on Wednesday.

Receipts

The Collector, accompanied by the officials from cooperatives, while inspecting a shop at Guhai and found short measures in the stocks of kerosene, dal, sugar and maida. He also verified the receipts and weights. He found out that despite having the electronic weighing machine, the salesmen used weights for measures.

The Collector also issued a stern warning to the employees and insisted that they should henceforth use electronic weighing machines to measure the commodities.

He found 25 per cent of bogus cards in the total of 1,540 cards attached to the shop and asked the concerned to immediately surrender the bogus cards to the administration within 24 hours.

“Otherwise a special drive will be launched against the card holders of the shop to unearth the bogus cards,” he said.

In another shop in the same area he found out that only 48 per cent rice was distributed last month and 30 per cent this month.

Nearly 20 per cent of cards attached to the shops were found to be bogus.

He asked the officials concerned to immediately submit the details of card holders to ascertain its genuineness. People attached to a shop run by Ponni Supermarket said that they had not received application forms to apply for cards.

Mr. Chandrakumar told them that they need not worry since officers had already been deputed for the purpose. “They will come to your doorsteps and you should provide them the correct details,” he said.

Taluk Suuply Officer K. Arjunan and Information and Public Relations Officer T. Manoharan accompanied the Collector during his inspection.