The Gazetteers Department

The Government of India introduced the system of rationing during the Second World War. The general scarcity of consumers goods during the war compelled the Government to control the distribution of essential goods, such as, rice, wheat, jowar, bajri, sugar, gul, cloth and kerosene through authorised ration shops. The sale and movement of these articles by anybody other than the Government was prohibited. The procurement of these commodities was done under the ' compulsory levy system', which remained in force till 1948 after which the extent of controls was relaxed. The compulsory levy system was discontinued in 1948. The extent of controls was further relaxed in 1950. With further improvement in the supply of foodgrains controls were withdrawn completely in 1954.

There was a fall of food production in 1956 which resulted in the impo- sition of limited controls during the year. Fair price shops were opened, and cereals as well as sugar was distributed through them. The prices of rice, wheat, jowar and other foodgrains registered a steep rise during 1959, 1962, 1963 and 1964. The Government therefore decided to establish more fair price shops and import foodgrains from abroad. The Zonal System was introduced in order to check an undue rise in prices. The situation, however, took an adverse turn in 1964 and 1965. Prices rose to an unprecedented level. The Pakistani agression in September 1965 caused a further spurt in the prices of foodgrains.

The deteriorating food situation prompted the Government of Maharashtra to introduce informal rationing and monopoly procurement of rice and jowar through government agencies. Under the procurement system Government purchases these foodgrains from the agriculturists at the stipulated prices.

The monopoly procurement scheme in respect of jowar was implemented in the district for the first time in 1964-65 under the Maharashtra Jowar (Restriction on Purchase and Sale and Control of Movement) Order of 1964. The total procurement of jowar was to the tune of 2,594.6 tonnes during 1964-65. During the same year, the Government fixed the price of jowar, under the price support measures, at Rs. 45 for superior quality and Rs. 43 for medium quality per quintal.

During 1965-66 the Government issued a consolidated statutory order for procurement of jowar, rice and paddy, viz., Maharashtra Scheduled Foodgrains (Stock Declaration and Procurement, and Disposal, Acquisition, Transport and Price Control) Order of 1965. The Government fixed the monopoly purchase price at Rs. 53 for superior quality, Rs. 51 for medium quality and Rs. 48 for coarse quality of jowar. The total procurement of jowar in the district during 1965-66 was 3,802.7 tonnes.

For 1966-67 season a similar control order was issued by the Government. The procurement policy for the year was almost the same as that for the previous year with the only change to the effect that the levy tables were made applicable for assessing the amount of levy. An amount of 4,303.3 tonnes of jowar was procured during 1966-67 in the district.

The Government has prohibited trade transactions in the scheduled foodgrains. The transport and movement of these foodgrains is banned by law. The grains procured by the Government are distributed through fair price shops at stipulated prices. The fair price shops are managed by co-operative societies, village panchayats, local bodies as well as by authorised private shopkeepers. Co-operative societies and village panchayats, are given preference over private shopkeepers for running fair price shops. They are controlled and inspected by the District Supply Officer or the Tahsildar and are required to maintain, (i) a stock register, (ii) a visit book, and (iii) daily sale register. The consumers are required to obtain household ration cards.

During 1965-66 there were 610 fair price shops in Wardha district. Of these, 246 were managed by co-operative societies, 219 by village panchayats, 45 by other local bodies and 100 by private individuals. A total quantity of 2,62,487.31 quintals of rationed articles valued at Rs. 1,56,57,656.52 was disbursed through the fair price shops during 1965-66,

The number of shops, during 1966-67, was 609, of which 254 shops were run by co-operative societies, 212 by village panchayats, 46 by other local bodies and 97 by private individuals. The quantity of articles disbursed through the fair price shops was 2,28,970.45 quintals, while the value of the same was Rs. 1,19,56,846.93 during 1966-67.

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