The state food and supplies department plans to bring the Public Distribution System (PDS) under its administrative control by introducing new systems and taking steps against dishonest dealers in the Hills soon. State minister for food and supplies department, Jyotipriya Mallick, on Monday held a meeting with top departmental officials at Uttarkanya here and adopted several resolutions to “tame” the PDS, especially in the Hills, which was allegedly beyond the departmental control during the tenure of GJMM leader Bimal Gurung.

Talking to The Statesman, Mr Mallick said: “Our departmental officials were driven out of their offices by Bimal Gurung’s men. Officials had to leave their offices as they were threatened with dire consequences. They could not distribute digital ration cards among many people in the interior villages.” Mr Mallick also said that the administration has detected some “dishonest dealers” in the Hills and a top distributor, who allegedly used to keep control of the entire system with the help of the ruling Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) led by Bimal Gurung. “Proper steps have been taken. Now we will rearrange the entire PDS in the Hills very soon,” he told this correspondent. After the review meeting, Mr Mallick told reporters that the department plans to distribute quality flour among the Hill people through the PDS by introducing a “unique system.”

The minister further disclosed that the department would select quality flour mills in the plains to provide flour to the Hills. To maintain its quality, a departmental laboratory will also be set up in Siliguri. According to him, dealers sell wheat meant for the Hill people as they, who live in interior villages, refused to accept wheat. “We will distribute 750 grams of flour in plastic packets. There is no ban on the use plastic bags in the Hills. A group of dealers was campaigning falsely in the Hills. The Darjeeling district magistrate has examined all papers related to the departments concerned.

The DM says there are no restrictions on the use of plastic in the Hills,” Mr Mallick said. “The distribution of flour will begin from April this year,” he added. Citing an example, he said: “The quality of flour deteriorates after a month. So we have decided to distribute the flour in packets of different colours. If we distribute flour in a black packet in April, the colour of the packet will be green for May. It will help detect old stock of flour.”

The food and supplies department also plans to distribute all undelivered digital ration card among consumers. A total of 13,000 applications for such cards are under process for Darjeeling Hills. The minister also claimed that a vigilance team from Kolkata will visit the Hills, without informing the district controller of food and supplies, to check malpractices in the PDS, from distributors to the dealers’ ration shops.