‘UP food commission is a toothless body due to state govt’s neglect’

LUCKNOW: The UP food commission has delivered 118 decisions in the past one year, but has been unable to enforce any of them. Reason: The state government is still to acknowledge the constitutional importance of the body that was constituted following directives of the Supreme Court, said commission members at a press conference in Lucknow on Friday.

Speaking to HT, president UP food commission Nand Kishore Yadav said, “Our decisions are not making any impact as the state government does not understand the constitutional importance of the commission. Why will people come and appeal to the commission when its decisions are not implemented by the government?”

Another member DC Mishra said, “The sate government is distributing wheat at Rs 2 / kg and rice at Rs 3 / kg, but there have been reports of food items reaching the black market. There have been at least seven big cases of food items being diverted in the state capital. Following complaints, the commission recommended an inquiry by the enforcement directorate within a time period of three to six months. The commission also recommended suspension of licences of around 90 rations shops in the state, but nothing has been done.”

Commission member Saroj Prasad, also wife of head of SC/ST commission Brij Lal, told HT, “The commission has recommended action against big ration mafias such as Sarvesh Pandey and Sonu, who are running over 80 fair price shops under different names. But the department has failed to act against them. There are godown in-charges who are controlling godowns for 20 years. These people need to be transferred. The commission has become a toothless body due to the state government’s neglect.”

Commission members also voiced their frustration for not being given adequate staff to work with at their Lucknow Haat office in Vibhuti Khand. “We don’t have any clerical staff , no class IV worker. So, we have to do all the clerical work ourselves,” said member M Ismail Khan.

The commission members demanded action from the government on the issues they were facing.