Section 11 in The Targeted Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2015
11. Monitoring.
(1)The State Government shall ensure regular inspections of fair price shops not less than once in three months by the designated authority. The State Government shall issue orders specifying the inspection schedule, list of check points and the authority responsible for ensuring compliance with the said orders.(2)The State Government shall ensure that stocks of foodgrains under the Targeted Public Distribution System, as issued from the Corporation godowns, are not replaced or tampered with during storage, transit or any other stage till delivery to the ration card holder.(3)Any authority or any person authorised by it in this behalf or any other person, who is engaged in the distribution and handling of foodgrains under the Targeted Public Distribution System, shall not indulge in substitution or adulteration or diversion or theft of stocks at any stage till delivery to the ration card holder.Explanation. - For the purpose of this clause,-(i)"diversion" means unauthorised movement or delivery of foodgrains released from godowns but not reaching the intended beneficiaries under the Targeted Public Distribution System.(ii)"substitution" means replacement of foodgrains released from godowns with the same articles of inferior quality for distribution to the intended beneficiaries under the Targeted Public Distribution System.(4)The State Government shall set up vigilance committees for the Targeted Public Distribution System at the State, District, Block and fair price shop levels as per the provisions of the Food Security Act to perform functions as specified in the said Act.(5)Meetings of the vigilance committees shall be held at least once every quarter at all levels and the date and periodicity of the meeting shall be notified by the State Governments and given wide publicity.(6)The State Government shall send a report annually to the Central Government on the functioning of vigilance committees in the format at Annex-VI.(7)The number of meetings held by the vigilance committees shall be displayed on the State web portal and the action taken on issues discussed in meetings of vigilance committees shall be reviewed in the next meeting.(8)The State Government shall notify an internal grievance redressal mechanism which shall include toll free call centres and use of State web portal.(9)The State Government shall give wide publicity to the up-to-date details of the Grievance Redressal Officer such as name, telephone number including mobile number, office address and the grievance redressal mechanism.(10)The State Government shall appoint District Grievance Redressal Officers as per the provisions of the Food Security Act for expeditious and effective redressal of grievances of the aggrieved persons in matters relating to distribution of entitled foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System.(11)An appeal against the order of the District Grievance Redressal Officer shall be preferred before the State Food Commission constituted under section 16 of the Food Security Act.(12)The State Government shall furnish a report on quarterly basis to the Central Government regarding the handling of grievances in the format at Annex-VII.(13)The State Government shall issue and adopt a Citizen's Charter as stipulated under law or based on the model Citizen's Charter issued by the Central Government.(14)The State Government shall prescribe a system of periodic reporting, including through electronic platform, at various levels within the State regarding the functioning of fair price shops.(15)The State Government shall ensure monitoring of the end-to-end operations of the Targeted Public Distribution System through the electronic platform.Explanation. - For the purpose of this sub-clause "end-to-end operations" shall include activities relating to digitisation of beneficiary, ration cards, and other databases; computerisation of supply-chain management; setting up of transparency portal, grievance redressal mechanism and fair price shop automation.(16)The State Government shall take necessary steps to educate the ration card holders regarding their rights and privileges by the use of electronic and print media as well as display boards outside the fair price shops.
