What is the alleged corruption in the PDS, which has come to be known as the “ration scam” in West Bengal?

  • Investigators have found that Bakibur Rahman, a prominent businessman, allegedly supplied less than the required amount of rice and wheat to fair price shop distributors. The remaining grain was then sold for profit in the open market.
  • Rahman was reportedly supported by Mallick, the former Food and Supplies Minister in the TMC government from 2016 to 2021. After allegations of the scam surfaced, Mallick’s role was changed in Mamata Banerjee’s third term.
  • The ED began investigating these allegations last year and arrested Mallick on October 27 after a nearly 22-hour interrogation. Rahman had been arrested earlier on October 14. According to ED sources, flour mill owners provided less flour to distributors than what they were paid for by the government. It was revealed that for the price of 1 kg of flour, government suppliers received only about 600 grams.
  • ED officials have claimed that suppliers and mill owners were involved in the scam. Suppliers acknowledged receipt of 1 kg of flour even when they knew they received less. Rahman allegedly created an ‘80-20’ formula to distribute the illicit profits - 20% went to ration suppliers, while the rest was split among mill owners, complicit government officials, and the Minister’s office.
  • Over 100 government department seals were discovered in an apartment owned by Rahman in Kaikhali, near Kolkata.

How did the alleged scam come to light?

  • During the national lockdown in May 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there were protests in various districts of West Bengal over alleged discrepancies in the distribution of PDS grain. An FIR was lodged in the Nadia district.
  • The then Governor of West Bengal, Jagdeep Dhankhar (now Vice President), along with the central government, expressed criticism over the state’s management of the PDS. On April 23, the Centre informed the state that there was no distribution of food grains under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) scheme.
  • Under this scheme, each ration card holder was supposed to receive 5 kg of food grains and 1 kg of pulses for free, in addition to the monthly quota of 5 kg of subsidised food grains per person under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

What has been the state government’s response to the allegations?

  • Mallick refuted the allegations when they were made, and counter-accused the Centre of providing insufficient quantities under the PMGKAY scheme. The TMC labeled the assault on ED officials as ‘very unfortunate’, but also blamed central agencies for inciting people by conducting daily raids in various areas at the behest of the BJP.
  • The probe into the supposed PDS scam is just one of many investigations currently being conducted against the TMC and its leaders. Other cases involve issues related to the hiring of school teachers and municipal workers, as well as the illegal trafficking of cattle and coal.
Conclusion- The alleged corruption scandal in West Bengal’s Public Distribution System (PDS) has led to a series of investigations and arrests, including that of former Food and Supplies Minister Mallick and businessman Bakibur Rahman. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is probing the case, which involves the distribution of less than the paid-for amount of grains and flour, with the balance sold for profit. The illegal gains were allegedly shared among various parties, including ration suppliers, mill owners, and government officials. However, the TMC has countered these allegations, blaming the central agencies for provoking people with daily raids and accusing the Centre of providing insufficient supplies under the PMGKAY scheme. As the investigations continue, the outcomes could have significant political implications.