Cop shortage hits check in PDS misappropriations

NEW DELHI: Shortage in the number of policemen has hit hard the enforcement activities of the Delhi Government's Food and Civil Supplies department which is already grappling with corruption in its Public Distribution System (PDS) in the national capital.

Currently, a lone inspector posted at the department's anti-hoarding cell is overburdened with legal cases which are piling up rapidly as the government began its crackdown on the unscrupulous shopkeepers and officials indulged in leaking ration food to the open market.

During a drive launched a few months back against the hoarders and food smugglers, the government had registered FIRs against them to take them to the court.

"From checking ration-food hoarders, the role of the anti-hoarding cell is now to enforce and streamline the PDS in the city. We require police to take the PDS FIRs to a logical conclusion.

"However, with the cell becoming almost de-funct, the the problem has precipitated into crisis as the backlog has increased in courts," a senior official said.

Last month, Food and Supplies Commissioner Vijay Dev wrote to the Delhi police to recruit at least eight police personnel including inspectors, head constables and constables to help take its cases to logical end.

"However, we are yet to get any response from them. In fact, in the past too, as our experiences have shown, police have been apathetic to our needs.

"This despite that we have assured the police that we will pay salary to the cops from our own budget," the official added.