TELIAMURA: Tension gripped Teliamura’s Officetilla area on Friday after customers protested outside Ration Shop No. 2, alleging dealer Rakesh Das had embezzled ration materials and denied entitlements to card-holders.
Customers alleged that sugar and other food items were shown as distributed against their ration cards but never actually delivered, while Das also faced accusations of selling government ration supplies in the open market.
As the protest intensified, officials from the Teliamura Subdivisional Food Department, led by DSM Genius Debbarma, arrived at the scene and conducted an on-the-spot inspection, reportedly finding preliminary evidence supporting the allegations. A large quantity of petrol allegedly stored for black-market sale was also seized from the shop during the raid.
Locals said the shop had faced similar complaints of irregularities in the past. DSM Debbarma said necessary legal action would be taken against the dealer shortly based on the investigation’s findings.
The incident has caused significant stir in the area, with customers demanding strict punishment for the accused and stronger administrative oversight to prevent recurrence.