Women Protest Over PDS Ration Irregularities In Barwani Villages

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): More than 150 women from Bijasan and Amarali gram panchayats in the Narmada belt staged a protest outside the Collector's office on Friday, alleging irregularities at the local public distribution system (PDS) shop.

They claimed they had not received rations for the past two months and accused the shop operator of misbehaviour.

Submitting a memorandum to Food Officer Bharat Singh Jamre, the women alleged that the fair price shop, operated under the name of Maa Saraswati Self-Help Group, was being run by the husband of a group member instead of an authorised woman member, which is a violation of the rules.

The protesters alleged that the shop opens only for a few days after the 10th of every month, causing many beneficiaries to miss their entitlement.

They also claimed that ration slips are generated in advance, and preference is given to selected consumers, resulting in eligible families losing their monthly quota.

The women said they often spend an entire day waiting for ration, lose daily wages in the process, only to return empty-handed.

They demanded restoration of lapsed ration, proper management of the shop and strict action against those responsible.

Food Officer Bharat Singh Jamre assured the women that the complaints would be investigated and appropriate action taken as per rules.