LG VK Saxena approves draft of Delhi Grievance Redressal Rules related to TPDS and FPS

New Delhi [India], June 27 : Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Monday approved the draft of Delhi Grievance Redressal Rules, 2017 meant for addressing grievances related to Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) and Fair Price Shops (FPS).
Delhi LG VK Saxena slammed the Kejriwal government in the national capital for not taking action on the draft since 2017.
"Delhi has not constituted a State Food Commission and not framed Grievance Redressal Mechanism as mandated by the NFS Act, 2013 even after 10 years. The Mechanism and the Commission meant to look into critical aspects of the transparent and corruption-free implementation of the TPDS under NFSA, was even ordered to be put in place by the Supreme Court and the High Court way back in 2017, within the deadline of 2017 itself," an official statement.
"However, despite the Supreme Court's clear orders, the government had been sitting on the file for the past six years and has finally moved only after the threat from the Central Government that Central assistance under NFSA will be withheld if the mechanism and the Commission are not put in place by end of June 2023, the Kejriwal Government has finally submitted the file to this effect to Delhi LG, after an unexplained delay of six years since the file was first moved," it added.
LG VK Saxena said that it is indeed shocking that Delhi does not have a Grievance Redressal Mechanism and a State Food Commission.
"It is indeed shocking that the National Capital yet does not have a Grievance Redressal Mechanism and a State Food Commission, mandated by the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 for attending to grievances related to the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), even after 10 years of the Act coming in effect," an official statement.
"What is even more shocking is the fact that such mechanism and body which was meant to redress grievances like non-opening of Fair Price Shops, non-issue of Specified Food Article (SFA), weight discrepancy of SFA and overcharging for ration, etc., have been treated with such negligence and lackadaisicalness by a government that has, on more than one occasion, made a serious political issue out of PDS and FPS," it added.
Delhi LG Saxena further mentioned that he has invited the suggestion of the stakeholders and the general public on the draft.
"I approve the proposal on file for publication of the draft Delhi Grievance Redressal Rules, 2017 for inviting comments and suggestions of the stakeholders and general public, which also entails the constitution of a Screening Committee for appointments to the State Food Commission," he said.