Haryana: Quota for women in allotment of ration depots hits roadblock

Pradeep Sharma

Chandigarh, September 12

The BJP-JJP government’s ambitious plan of allotting one-third of the ration depots to women has hit a roadblock, with the process to allot fair price shops being put on hold allegedly due to ‘irregularities and political interference’.

“The state government has decided that the allotment process for the issuance of fair price shops be halted and held in abeyance till further orders,” a government order said.

“There were complaints of irregularities in the allotment process and the allotment has been put on hold to make it transparent,” a functionary of the government stated.

August 14 was the last date for applying for the allotment of the ration depots. The applications were to be scrutinised and selected at the district level in August. The list of new depot holders was to be released on September 1.

While launching the portal for the allotment of fair price shops recently, Dushyant Chautala, JJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister, who also holds the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs portfolio, announced the allotment of one-third ration depots to women as part of the government’s initiative to empower the fair sex.

As many as 3,224 new ration depots are slated to be allotted across the state. Chautala asserted that out 3,224 ration depots, 2,382 ration depots would be allocated to women. These 2,382 ration depots included the existing backlog.

Jan Sevak Party founder and Meham MLA Balraj Kundu demanded that the government should hold an inquiry to fix accountability.