There’s has been confusion about the extent of PDS Scam whether it is 1000 or 400 crores. Actually, this much more than 1000 crore scam but it appears that investigation is limited to Rs 400 crore. Is it for the convenience of select few? What makes this scam into a 1000 plus crores scam? Why is that people are not talking about it? Why isn’t newspaper, which has its hand completely into the nitty-gritty of PDS Scam, writing about the facts that made this scam bloat upto 1000 crores? Why aren’t civil society organisations asking for full fledged investigation into scam in its totality as envisaged in the PIL? Has the silence being traded? Why is it that only minor amount of just 400 crores probed into and major amount of more than 600 crores left untouched? To understand the so-called PDS Scam, there is couple of points that need understanding. One, difference between Central Purchase Organisation (CPO) of Directorate of Supply of Transport (DST) and Fair Price Shops (FPS) of Food and Civil Supplies (DFCS). And, mother of scam, the evolution and systemic alteration of policies and procedures related to PDS. Let’s begin with the genesis of PDS; during entire Union Territory days and till early part of Statehood period, public distribution system (PDS) of essential edible food items were carried out by CPOs under the guidance of DST. Then, Directorate of Civil Supplies (DCS) was created which was later rechristened as Directorate of Food and Civil Supplies (DFCS). And thus thereon, DFCS carried out PDS through fair price shops (FPSs). Prior to 1995, supply of food and other essential requirements of civilian staff and the local people were arranged through air-dropping and air landing of supplies at the respective locations by the Indian Air Force. This system was replaced in December, 1995 “State Trading Scheme” popularly known as CPOs. To implement this Scheme, DST was set up at Rowriah, Assam. This was shifted to Naharlagun during October, 1997. Whereas, FPS concept evolved with the gradual development of surface communication, the FPS took over the CPOs. The DFCS arranges procurement of PDS items like rice, wheat/atta, levy sugar, iodised salt (procurement not being done now), Kerosene oil, LPG. Essential commodities are distributed through FPS to the identified beneficiaries under the following categories: APL (Above Poverty Line), BPL (Below Poverty Line), AAY (Antyodaya Anna Yojana) and Annapurna. However, as per the official website, even today there are as many as 40 CPO centres and the people, especially the government employees were fed through these CPO centres.
In its early period, there were three agencies involved in PDS: first party was the nominee who was in-charge of certain earmarked areas; second party was the FPS that received the PDS items from nominees to retail the same; and third party was the carriage contractors who are responsible for transporting it from FCI good-down to the FPS. But after Apang’s famous homecoming to his old party fold and his second inning as Chief Ministership during year 2004 to 2007, rule of this PDS game was changed and restricted to just two actors – Nominee cum Carriage Contractor and FPS retailerfor reason best known to him and his closed coterie. This time, nominees were automatically made the carriage contractors knowing fully that ‘check & balance’ is being eliminated out of the system. No one knows why did an able administrator and politician like Apang agreed on such policy change. One can’t answer whether there was an ulterior motive with anticipation of windfall gains. No one would ever hear the truth from the involved people but it is within the realms of average thinking brain to understand such obnoxious moves of Apang. It was under this changed rule of game that exploitation of HTS started with Apang’s blessings. And as Apang happened to be the Chief Minister at the point in time, he should not absolve responsibilities for ‘false’ claims of subsidies to the tune of hundreds of crores in a record time frame of few months.
As per the official record available with FCI, amount is pegged at Rs 420 crores but it is learnt that bigger half and more scandalous part of the scam is ‘fake loaning of PDS items’ between DST and DF&CS? How did it happen? Who were responsible for it? Didn't it have Apang’s blessings too?
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“Cross-Loaning” of public distribution system (PDS) items between Directorate of Supply and Transport (DST) and Directorate of Food & Civil Supply (DFCS) is a bigger fraud and is of bigger amount. Why should it be left out of the investigation? Wasn’t it part of original public interest litigation (PIL)? Modus operandi of ‘fake’ cross loaning transaction was that DFCS took PDS items on loan from DST and returned it too. That sounds fair and transparent and it is well documented on records too. But startling fact is that, it was only on ‘records’; these transactions were never carried out physically on ground. For doing all these paper transactions, DFCS withdrew hundreds of crores from government exchequer. And later, DST too charged government exchequer for carrying out the work at a later stage. Isn’t that a double whammy on exchequer! Could this possible without blessings of higher-ups?
In this PDS Scam, Dorjee Khandu led government has nothing to be apologetic about. One, Khandu was neither the Chief Minister during the scam period nor he created Special Investigation Cell (SIC); Two, neither he appointed MS Chauhan as Superintendent of Police (SIC) nor he asked SP (SIC) to investigate the cases. It is very intriguing to witness current government on back-foot and on defensive. Is Congress led government conscious of party’s image which is dented beyond repair because of its senior leader, Gegong Apang? After all, fact of the matter is: Apang was the Chief Minister and he created SIC and appointed MS Chauhan as SP (SIC) and the Gauhati High Court appointed SP (SIC) as the Investigating Officer.
Like three tenure-ships, there are three kind of facts related to PDS scam, mind you all are facts: coincidental facts (which are mostly circumstantial), open secret and material evidences on record. First let’s look at the coincidental facts: given the scale of operation with stinking money at stake, it could not have been carried out without the knowledge of the then Chief Ministers. Even if one assume that he did not know; then, why did he approve of policy change in engaging ‘nominee’ as the ‘carriage contractor’, therefore it is safe to assume that he must have been involved in more than a way. And secondly, intent of Apang has been under scrutiny from day ‘zero’, when he appointed his wheeler-dealer, Security Officer SP Bhutia as investigating officer in this gigantic scam whilst in the know of the ramifications and extent of the scam. So without questioning the appointment or selection of SP Bhutia, why it is that couple of sponsored organisations is questioning the role of Hon’ble Court’s appointee like MS Chauhan. It is surprising that Hon’ble Court is yet to act upon any of the people or organisation for its contempt. Another kind of fact is the open secret, which has been confirmed by many of Apang’s former allies: For example, SIC was created to nail down his political opponent and former Chief Minister Mukut Mithi, whom he perceived as a political threat to his ‘iron-fist’ regime. Two, his Security Officer SP Bhutia was made in-charge so that Bhutia could take instructions from his good office in order to decimate his political opponents within and outside his own party, besides abdicating Apang himself of any involvement in the socioeconomic scam. Last, kind of fact is the material evidences on which one shall refrain from commenting on since those are under the custody of High Court; evidences are under investigations and as such matter is subjudiced. It is also surprising that media houses and organisations have been nonchalantly commenting on subjudiced matter without being pulled up by the Court for its contempt!
As part of educating process about PDS Scam, it must be put on record that list of accused includes almost all the PDS contractors under DST, not necessarily just that of DFCS. Even in DFCS, there are small fries who never got a whiff of HTS bills since they were subcontractor who were at the mercy of PDS nominees. Remember, the then government had put a specific clause which stated that subcontracting would be at the discretion of original nominees. That effectively means that nominees were fully in-charge. For example, ‘X’ was listed as PDS subcontractors of DFCS in a particular block of a district of which PDS nominee ‘A’ of the district ‘Y’. Reality under DFCS is that nominee of the district ‘Y’ never brought PDS items to the district so sub-contractor ‘X’ never received any PDS item for transportation to make money or draw a bill worth even a paisa, forget a rupee! This is precisely what happened in many of the 96 accused. Thus, list of 96 accused as published in certain section of media is misleading and it has been a deliberate attempt by the particular newspaper to dilute the biggest socioeconomically fraud with former Chief Minister Apang as its ring master!
As part of educating process about PDS Scam, it must be put on record that list of accused includes almost all the PDS contractors under DST, not necessarily just that of DFCS. Even in DFCS, there are small fries who never got a whiff of HTS bills since they were subcontractor who were at the mercy of PDS nominees. Remember, the then government had put a specific clause which stated that subcontracting would be at the discretion of original nominees. That effectively means that nominees were fully in-charge. For example, ‘X’ was listed as PDS subcontractors of DFCS in a particular block of a district of which PDS nominee ‘A’ of the district ‘Y’. Reality under DFCS is that nominee of the district ‘Y’ never brought PDS items to the district so sub-contractor ‘X’ never received any PDS item for transportation to make money or draw a bill worth even a paisa, forget a rupee! This is precisely what happened in many of the 96 accused. Thus, list of 96 accused as published in certain section of media is misleading and it has been a deliberate attempt by the particular newspaper to dilute the biggest socioeconomically fraud with former Chief Minister Apang as its ring master!
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With so much of facts related to PDS scam in public domain, it is surprising that certain section of a particular community attempted to paint a picture as if more than 100 other tribes in Arunachal are against their community, which is entirely untrue. Let’s admit that this was a business fraud and Gegong Apang is not the first one to be arrested as a whole and also from Adi community. One hopes that he won’t be the first and last political leaders to be arrested in this socioeconomic fraud. SIC must move swift and fast.
PDS scam need to be viewed through socioeconomic lens; and people must look, feel and read the progress of case in a business manner without getting sentimental, without feeling communal and without painting a political colour. Mind you, Arunachal Pradesh is not the same as in 1980: that was a different era when the reach of radio, TV and newspapers was better than our ability to comprehend the political stunts. That was an era where literacy rate was as low as 25.55 per cent, whereas today literacy rate is more than 54.34 per cent. That was an era where there was just one kind of newspaper. Much river has flown down Siang, Subansiri and Dibang rivers since Apang’s iron fists melted. Today, comprehension power of young and youths are far better than what is spoken in TV or Radio and they are much better in reading between the lines of newspapers. There are more than four newspapers with own versions. Today’s Arunachal is a State wherein educated and liberal youths are asserting more aggressively; people are far more conscious and are perceptive enough to see through the evil design in the PDS scam. It is an open secret in this small State that most of the ‘wheeler-dealers’ are known to everyone and in that context, let’s be candid in admitting that most of the civil society organization (CSO) imposed ‘bandhs’ and other democratic protests are sponsored by political masters, as in the famous ‘puppet shows’. Most of the media houses know about it. Therefore, certain CSOs should stop behaving like holy cows and should not pretend as if they have principles or ideologies. It is unexpected that certain newspaper backed by power ‘that was’, which is apparently pretending to be championing PDS Scam is still hiding the truth. But larger question is: why is it that this particular newspaper never raised any questions till Apang was arrested and denied bail for record 10 times? It is much more surprising that the same paper is still hiding the facts and is telling half the truth to the people. And question is: why? Let’s stop feeding newspaper with half-cooked truth on PDS and more despicable is ‘feeding’ half truth to the masses. Will certain newspaper come out with facts which brought down the Arunachal Pradesh Cooperative Bank, better known as APEX Bank? Would this newspaper reveal the truth behind ‘mega dam MoU’ signing spree? Would it wait for Gegong Apang to be arrested to publish the list of people involved in the Apex bank scam and the MoU signing spree? That’s not the point one would like to delve on today. One is concerned with the mushrooming of ‘fly-by-night CSOs’, who are like pimps, who would not accept that they are into ‘flesh trade’. But one is more concerned about sincere and genuine CSOs which are actually working for welfare of the society. There is an urgent need for apex CSOs of pan-Arunachal tribe to look into it lest CSOs would be despised and abhorred.
PDS scam need to be viewed through socioeconomic lens; and people must look, feel and read the progress of case in a business manner without getting sentimental, without feeling communal and without painting a political colour. Mind you, Arunachal Pradesh is not the same as in 1980: that was a different era when the reach of radio, TV and newspapers was better than our ability to comprehend the political stunts. That was an era where literacy rate was as low as 25.55 per cent, whereas today literacy rate is more than 54.34 per cent. That was an era where there was just one kind of newspaper. Much river has flown down Siang, Subansiri and Dibang rivers since Apang’s iron fists melted. Today, comprehension power of young and youths are far better than what is spoken in TV or Radio and they are much better in reading between the lines of newspapers. There are more than four newspapers with own versions. Today’s Arunachal is a State wherein educated and liberal youths are asserting more aggressively; people are far more conscious and are perceptive enough to see through the evil design in the PDS scam. It is an open secret in this small State that most of the ‘wheeler-dealers’ are known to everyone and in that context, let’s be candid in admitting that most of the civil society organization (CSO) imposed ‘bandhs’ and other democratic protests are sponsored by political masters, as in the famous ‘puppet shows’. Most of the media houses know about it. Therefore, certain CSOs should stop behaving like holy cows and should not pretend as if they have principles or ideologies. It is unexpected that certain newspaper backed by power ‘that was’, which is apparently pretending to be championing PDS Scam is still hiding the truth. But larger question is: why is it that this particular newspaper never raised any questions till Apang was arrested and denied bail for record 10 times? It is much more surprising that the same paper is still hiding the facts and is telling half the truth to the people. And question is: why? Let’s stop feeding newspaper with half-cooked truth on PDS and more despicable is ‘feeding’ half truth to the masses. Will certain newspaper come out with facts which brought down the Arunachal Pradesh Cooperative Bank, better known as APEX Bank? Would this newspaper reveal the truth behind ‘mega dam MoU’ signing spree? Would it wait for Gegong Apang to be arrested to publish the list of people involved in the Apex bank scam and the MoU signing spree? That’s not the point one would like to delve on today. One is concerned with the mushrooming of ‘fly-by-night CSOs’, who are like pimps, who would not accept that they are into ‘flesh trade’. But one is more concerned about sincere and genuine CSOs which are actually working for welfare of the society. There is an urgent need for apex CSOs of pan-Arunachal tribe to look into it lest CSOs would be despised and abhorred.
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