DEPARTMENT OF FOOD , CIVIL SUPPLIES & CONSUMER AFFAIRS

FUNCTIONS

The Deputy Commissioner co-ordinates the activity of the department at the Taluka level.  Fair Price Shops are the link between the departments and the general public.  Food Inspectors and other officers of the Department constantly watch thee shops and see that they function accordingly to meet the objectives of the department and the government.  Strict vigilance is kept on these shops and any irregularities are treated effectively.  Care is taken to take the benefit to the needy citizens.

PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

 Government of India allots rice, wheat, sugar and kerosene to the State Government.   The Commissioner, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department in turn reallocates the said rationed commodities to the districts.  This allocation is based mainly on the household population and the number of ration cards.

The objectives of the Public Distribution System are:-

• To protect the low income groups by guaranteeing they supply of certain minimum quantities of food grains at affordable price;

• Ensuring equitable distribution;               

• Controlling the price rise of Essential Commodities in the open market;

Essential Commodities are distributed through Fair Price Shops to ensure that the basic food requirement of the population is met on the one hand and food security to the poor on the other.  Food grains are issued to the poor and vulnerable sections of the society at affordable prices.

The objectives of Universal coverage with preferential treatment to the poor. Entire population is covered under the Public Distribution System. Some sections are provided with special treatment in terms of lower prices and larger quantities as well as additional commodities.  Families living in rural area and having an annual income of less than Rs. 12000/- or less and in urban areas with an annual income of Rs. 17,000/- or less have been issued with Yellow cards with entitlement to drawn subsidized food grains.

There are 166032 families below the Poverty line [BPL] are issued with yellow cards and 18672 families with Anthyodaya Anna Yojana cards.  Out of them 21745 yellow cards and 2749 AAY cards are in urban areas. The Above Poverty Line families in rural areas are issued with Saffron cards and in Urban areas with photo cards.  39093 APL cards in rural and 34420 APL cards in urban areas.  Saffro n cards are issued to the rural families whose annual income is more than 12000 and photo cards to the urban families with an annual income of more than 17000.  There are totally 257217 cards issued in the District.  

Talukwise Cardwise Detailes

TARGETED PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION - TPDS

TPDS [Targeted Public Distribution System] is introduced in June 1997 by Government of India. Under the new TPDS scheme, Government of India has indicated that 33.16% of the State household population as below poverty Line Families and are allocating food grains.  As per the norms of the Government India 28 Kgs. Of rice and 7 Kgs. of wheat is issued  per family per month.  The Central Issue Price for Rice is Rs.565.00 per Qtl. and wheat at Rs.415.00 per Qtl.  The Central Government has allowed the State Government to add Rs. 50 per Qtl. as incidentals over and above the Central Issue Price.  But the State Government, at present is issuing 20 Kgs. of rice and 5 Kgs. of wheat per card per month at Rs. 3.00 per Kg.  The difference in the Central Issue Price and the State issue price is borne as Food Subsidy by the State Government.

Government of Karnataka views the Targeted Public Distribution System as an important constituent of the strategy for food security by ensuring minimum supplies of food grains to the population below poverty line.  The State Government is  implementing  the Targeted Public Distribution to the best advantage of the beneficiaries with utmost transparency and efficiency.

The Targeted Public Distribution System functions through a network of fair Price depots.  Households belonging vulnerable sections of the society and living below the Poverty Line in the rural areas and in urban slums will be normally treated as BPL families. These families are entitled to get food grains at subsidized prices.

The commitment enshrined here are only in the nature of a promise made by the Government to the users of public Distribution System.  It is the endeavor of the Government to identify the genuine BPL families both in the rural and urban slums and provide them food grains at subsidized prices under the Targeted Public Distribution System.  Transparent procedure and specific economic criteria would form the base of the identification of the genuine BPL families.  Gram Sabhas and urban local bodies would also be actively involved in the identification of BPL families.  The list of BPL families so prepared would be made use of for extending benefit under TPDS.  The list would be updated periodically.

FAIR PRICE SHOPS

The TPDS functions through a net work of Fair Price Depots.  The Government of Karnataka has enacted the Karnataka Essential Commodities [Public Distribution System], Control Order, 1992 to issue authorization to Karnataka Food & Civil Supplies Corporation, Co-operative Societies, Registered Associations and individuals to run Fair Price Depots and to regulate the functioning of these Fair Price Depots. These Fair Price depots which form the core of the Public Distribution System are entrusted with the responsibility of distributing food grains to the ration cardholders attached to the respective fair price depots.  It is endeavor of the Government of Karnataka to locate these Fair Price Depots keeping in view of the convenience and interests of the ration card holders. Transparent procedure as prescribed under the Karnataka Essential Commodities [Public Distribution System] Control Order, 1992 would be followed for issue of authorization to run Fair Price depots.   Details of Talukwise categorywise FPDs in the district as on 3-3-2005 are as under-

TYPES OF RATION CARDS

The following types of ration cards are issued in the District:-

• Yellow cards are issued to the below Poverty Line families living in rural areas and urban slums.

• Anthyodaya Anna Yojana cards are issued to the poorest of the poor families living in rural areas and urban            slums.  The  number of cards so issued in the Chikmagalur District is limited to 18672 as prescribed by the             Government of Karnataka.

• APL cards which are of two types, namely saffron cards and photo cards.  They are issued to above poverty             line families [APL].  Saffron cards are issued to the rural APL families and photo cards to the urban APL families.

The District Administration will ensure constant checking of these Ration Cards to identify and eliminate bogus cards and to take stern action against persons found guilty of misusing the benefits of the TPDS.

COMMODITIES COVERED:

At present commodities covered under the TPDS are rice, wheat, sugar and kerosene.  Commodities are supplied at the fair price depots shall be as per the norms prescribed under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act and Rules made there under.  

Rice and wheat are supplied to the BPL families at subsidized prices.  After meeting the committed entitlement of the BPL cardholders and depending upon the availability of rice and wheat, the APL cardholders will be sold rice and wheat at the scale and rates fixed from time to time.

Only BPL families are entitled to sugar under TPDS.  APL families are not entitled to get sugar. Kerosene is issued to the ration cardholders subject to fulfillment of certain restrictions imposed by the State Government.  Cardholders with LPG connection are not issued with kerosene.  Kerosene is issued to the cardholders on the basis of their places of residence such as rural, urban town and cities and Informal Rationing area.

All the cardholders will be issued other essential commodities under the Public Distribution System as decided from time to time by the State Government at the scale and rates fixed by the Government. 

ENTITLEMENT OF FOODGRAINS

Government of Karnataka is committed to issue 28 Kgs. Of rice and 7 Kgs. of wheat to the Anthyodaya Anna Yojana cardholders and 20 Kgs. Of rice and 5 Kgs. of wheat per card per month through the Fair Price Depots, indicated in the ration cards at subsidized prices, for the BPL families.

The present consumer prices of rice and wheat for the BPL families under difference scheme are as follows:

Rice and Wheat supplied at the fair price depots shall be as per the norms prescribed under PFA Act, 1954 and rules made there under.

The fair price depot shall be open on all days except Tuesday between 8.00 AM and 12 Noon and from 4.00 PM to 7.30 PM.

The cardholders can get their entitled allotment of food grains for the month on any day during the working hours stipulated for the fair price depots.

After meeting the committed entitlement of the BPL cardholders, and depending on the availability of food grains, the APL cardholders will be sold food grains at the scale and rates fixed from time to time.  The present consumer prices for APL cardholders are Rs.9.00 per kg of rice and Rs.6.70 per kg of wheat.

Only BPL families are entitled to get sugar under the TPDS.  APL cardholders are not entitled to get sugar.  At present, sugar is issued to BPL families at Rs.13.50 per kg.  The scale of issue of sugar per family, per month, would be decided by the Department depending upon the monthly allocation of sugar to the State.

At present, supply of kerosene to ration cardholders is regulated as follows: -

• Kerosene is not supplied to ration cardholders who possess  LPG Cylinders.

• Only 2 litres of kerosene per family/per month are supplied to ration cardholders who possess one LPG cylinder.

• 5 litres of kerosene per family per month are supplied to ration cardholders with a single family member.

Ration cardholders who do not possess any LPG cylinder are supplied kerosene as follows: -

• 10 litres per month/per card in IR Area.

• 8 litres per month/per card in other urban areas.

• 4 litres per month/per card in rural areas.

ISSUE OF FOOD COUPONS AND SUBSIDY INCURRED

In order to prevent diversion of food grains under Public Distribution System, the Department has issued food coupons to cardholders under Yellow Card Scheme and Antyodaya Anna Yojana.

In addition to the Central Government subsidy, the State Government bears additional subsidy on the food grains supplied to BPL cardholders under various schemes as detailed below.

ISSUE OF RATION CARDS

Every family residing in the State of Karnataka is entitled to a ration card. The application for a new ration card should be submitted in the prescribed form. Prescribed application forms, free of cost are available in the respective offices. The format is also displayed in the Fair Price Depots. The application can also be submitted on a plain paper but in the same format. It is not essential to use the printed form.

Applications for the ration cards should be submitted to the respective Deputy Director of Food and Civil Supplies in case of Informal Rationing Area; and to the Tahsildar in case of all other areas.

Either the head of the family or the spouse should submit the applications. Applications through intermediaries or social workers etc will not be entertained. Applications received through any one in bundles will also not be entertained.

Applicants should furnish the following documents along with application for obtaining new ration cards:-

1. Three passport size photographs of the applicant.

2. Proof of residence: 

Copy of any of the following documents showing the residence address of the applicant ( Item No. 2)

Identity card issued by the Government or Public Sector Undertakings/

Latest Telephone bill on the name of the applicant/

Recent mail received by the applicant /

Latest LPG receipt on the name of the applicant /

Valid driving license /

Valid Passport /

Voter Identity card /

Latest tax paid receipt, if living in own house /

Extract of the electoral Roll /

Latest Rent paid receipt, if living in a rented house, clearly indicating the name and complete postal address of the owner/

Any other document that may prove the applicant’s residence

In respect of poor applicants who do not have any of the above documents, Food Inspector will conduct local enquiry and draw up a mahazar about the applicant being a bonafide resident or not.  Further, if the issuing authority is not satisfied by any one of the proofs given by applicant, then the authority may ask for a second proof among any one of the proofs listed above.  A decision will be taken on the submission of second proof.

Latest Income certificate, if the applicant is seeking a yellow card (BPL card). In addition, the Food Inspector concerned will conduct local inquiry to verify about the ownership of any valuable assets that may disqualify the applicant from being issued a BPL card.

 Surrender certificate or deletion certificate issued by the competent authority of Food & Civil Supplies Department if the applicant has moved from one place to another place;

 Every applicant will be issued an acknowledgement with the due date. The applicant should demand and collect the acknowledgement.

The applicant should obtain the ration card after duly signing in the Assignment register maintained in the rationing office.

For issue of new ration card, Rs.5/- is the charge for BPL cards and Rs.10/- for APL cards,

In the case of loss of ration card, the cardholder can apply for a duplicate ration card along with an affidavit about the loss of card. Duplicate card will be issued after due enquiry in 30 days time. The charges for issue of duplicate ration card are Rs.15/- for BPL cards and Rs.25/- for APL cards

  DOOR DELIVERY:

To ensure that the food grains reach the villages without fail, the Fair Price Depots in the rural areas are given door delivery of the ration articles.

RIGHT TO INFORMATION

The FAIR PRICE DEPOT will exhibit and display board with following words written on it in black                      

‘Government Fair Price Depot' 

 Shop No.________       Ward/Village ________________,  _______________ Taluk

The fair price depot will display the following information for the benefit of the cardholders.

a)     Name of the Fair Price Depot.

b)     Name of the Fair Price Depot holder.

c)      Fair Price Depot authorisation number.

d)     Working hours of the Fair Price Depot.

e)     Allotment for the month (BPL & APL).

f)       Stock and rate list.

g)     Entitlement of the cardholder (Scale of issue) for the month ( both for          BPL [Yellow and AAY]  & APL).

h)    Display the samples of all commodities.

i)       The list of members of vigilance committee with their addresses and phone numbers if any

j)       The name, address and phone number of the  Officer to whom complaints can be given in case of any dissatisfaction with the service or any other violation by the Fair Price Depot.

The cardholders attached to the fair price depot are entitled to inspect the Daily sales cum stock register and Assignment register available at the fair price depots – without causing any inconvenience to the normal functioning of Fair Price Depot. 

Allotments made by the Deputy Commissioner will also be communicated to the   Zilla Panchayat and the City Municipalities in the district.

The Fair Price Depot-wise sub-allotments made by the Tahsildar/Rationing Officer will also be communicated to the Village Panchayats and the urban local bodies in his jurisdiction along with the scale of issue.

Scale of issue of all commodities will be announced through the press and other media.

Information regarding allotment to and issue from a fair price depot of any commodity, for any of the past three months can be obtained by any one from the Tahsildar / Deputy Director  on payment of prescribed fee of Re.1 for every commodity per month per Fair Price Depot. The time limit for furnishing this information is 7 days.

Under Section 2 (a) of the Karnataka Right to Information Act 2000, the following Officers of the Department have been designated as the Competent Authorities.

a)     Commissioner for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs.

b)     Joint Director (PD), Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department.

c)     The  Deputy Commissioner.

d)     The Deputy Director of Food & civil Supplies, Chikmagalur

e)     Tahsildars of the Taluk.

Any person desirous to obtain information shall make an application to the above Competent Authority as prescribed in the said Act.

VIGILANCE AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

The Government of Karnataka has, for the effective implementation of the TPDS constituted a seven member Fair Price Depot level Vigilance Committees for all Fair Price Depots whose composition is as follows.

          A. Five women cardholders attached to the shop with representation as follows: -

            a) Scheduled Caste                            one member
            b) Scheduled Tribe                            one member
            c) Woman                                        one member
            d) Backward class                             one member
            e) General category                           one member

           B. Elected member of the local body          -          one member

          C. Women Social Worker of the area          -          one member

The Committee is headed by one of the members selected in turn for each meeting based on the alphabetical order of the names of the members written in Kannada. The meetings of the Vigilance Committees are to be held atleast once in two months.  Panchayat Secretary of the concerned Gram Panchayat is appointed as the Convener of the said committee.

DECENTRALISATION OF POWER

1.  In order to ensure issue of ration cards to eligible families without any delay and inconvenience, the Government of Karnataka has simplified and streamlined the procedure for issue of ration cards.  The power of issuing ration cards has been decentralized and is now entrusted to the respective Food Inspectors of the area.  In order to ensure timely action, time limit of 30 days has also been prescribed for issue of new ration cards.

2.  In addition to issue of new ration cards, the Department will also carryout addition/deletion of names of the family members, change in address, and transfer of ration cards in the following manner.

(a)  Any such changes in the ration cards will be carried out only on the application of the cardholder.

(b)  All requests and applications along with supporting documents should be submitted to the  Deputy Director/Tahsildar.

3. The time limit for different services relating to ration cards is given in the following table.

MONITORING OF TPDS

It is the endeavor of the Government of Karnataka to implement the TPDS to the best advantage of    the beneficiaries with utmost transparency and efficiency.  For this purpose, an effective monitoring system has been evolved, salient features of which are as follows.

•  Monthly review at the District and Taluk level.

•  Constitution of Vigilance Committees for each fair price depot.

•  Periodical inspections of fair price depots/wholesale godowns by the executive functionaries of the Department

The District Administration  has evolved the following procedure to ensure assured supply of allotted food grains to the cardholders through the designated and authorized fair price depots.

• The Deputy Commissioner of the district issues the Taluk-wise allocation of food grains by the end of the first week.

• Food Inspectors/Food Sheristedars/Tahsildars of taluks obtain the closing stock of rationed    commodities from each fair price depot in the first week of every month and forward the consolidated information to the Deputy Commissioner of the district.  

• Wholesale nominees start lifting of food grains from the beginning of the month.

• The Tahsildars of taluks issue allotment to the fair price depots during the second week.

• Fair Price Depots start lifting of food grains from the second week.

• In order to prevent diversion of allotted food grains during transportation, the Department transports the food grains to the fair price depots in the rural areas at Government cost.  An official of the Department accompanies the vehicles carrying food grains from the wholesale points to the respective fair price depots in the rural areas.

Route maps have been drawn up for each wholesale point so that all the fair price depots located in one route take delivery of the food grains on the same day.  

STRENGTHENING OF MONITORING INFORMATION SYSTEM (MIS)

To ensure better monitoring mechanism for the Public Distribution System, the Department at the  District and Taluk levels are using the facilities available at the National Informatics Centre (NIC).  It is the endeavor of the State Government to strengthen the data base and MIS of the Department by equipping the Department at all levels, in a phased manner, with the necessary computer hardware and software for effective monitoring of the TPDS.

IMPLEMENTATION OF ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES ACT, 1955.

The Government of Karnataka reiterates its commitment to implement the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and various Control Orders issued thereunder to the best advantage of the general public with utmost transparency and efficiency.

PROMOTION OF CONSUMER AWARENESS

The Government of Karnataka would strive to promote awareness among the consumers about their  rights and responsibilities.  The District Administration would undertake a sustained and systematic programme for generating consumer awareness.  Active Consumer Organizations in the District would also be involved in this effort.  It is also the endeavor of the District Administration to promote genuine Consumer Organizations and facilitate them to take up programmes for the welfare of consumers and protection of their rights.

             IMPLEMENTATION OF MINIMUM SUPPORT PRICE SCHEME (MSPS)

            It is the endeavor of the Government of Karnataka to earnestly implement the MSP Scheme of the Government of India since the objective of the scheme is to provide minimum support price to certain specified agricultural commodities.  The District Administration expresses it commitment to extend the benefits of this scheme to the needy farmers in so far as paddy and coarse grains are concerned.

COMMITMENT REITERATED

The Government of Karnataka reiterates its commitment to TPDS with its focus on the poor through this charter and expects all agencies concerned with the implementation to do their utmost for efficient, effective and successful implementation of TPDS.

CITIZENS’ RESPONSIBILITIES

In return, the District Administration expects from the citizens:

• Not to misuse the facilities and indulge in or encourage any malpractice.

• Report promptly to the authorities concerned any instance of irregularity or other malpractice.

• Complaints, if any, regarding operation of Public Distribution   System can be lodged with the Food Inspector/Tahsildar/ Deputy Director of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs/Deputy Commissioner of the district.

• Complaints, if any, against the field level functionaries of the Department can be lodged with the   Deputy Commissioner of the district/ Additional Director in Bangalore I.R. Area.  

For Furthur Details / Suggestions, Contact  :-

Deputy Director,

Food , Civil Supplies  & Consumer Affairs Department,

Deputy Commissioner's Office Building,

Chickmagalur - 1

Phone : 08262 235261.