Vigilance Committees Under Public Distribution System

The State Government with an aim to monitor the distribution of the essential commodities that are being distributed through the Public Distribution System (PDS) and thereby ensure the participation of the Public in monitoring of PDS, has constituted Vigilance Committees at various levels viz village, taluka, municipal council, municipal corporation and district level. The State Government has issued guidelines vide resolutions Dated 23 rd January 2008. The State level Advisory Committee has also been constituted vide Government Resolution dated 30 th August 2008, under the chairmanship of Hon'ble Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection. Information regarding structure of Vigilance Committees constituted at Village, Taluka, District, Municipal Council and Municipal Corporation levels is mentioned below.

The Sarpanch of the village is the President of the Village Level Vigilance Committee. Village Level Vigilance Committee consists of 13 members including official and non-official members.
Member of the Legislative Assembly representing the maximum area of the taluka is the President of the Taluka Level Vigilance Committee. It consists of 17 members including official and non-official members.
Member of the Legislative Assembly representing the maximum wards of the Municipal Council area is the President of the Municipal Council Level Vigilance Committee. It consists of 15 members including official and non- official members.
Guardian Minister of the District is the President of the District Level Vigilance Committee. It consists of 21 members including official and non- official members.
Member of the Legislative Assembly representing the Rationing Area of the Municipal Corporation is the President of the Municipal Corporation Level Vigilance Committee. It consists of 21 members including official and non- official members.
Out of the total non-official members in each of the above mentioned Vigilance Committees, 50 % of the non-official members are women.

The State Government vide its Circular dated 3 rd July, 2009 and 3 rd December, 2011 has issued instructions that the concerned District Collector should initiate disciplinary action under Maharashtra Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1979 against those Secretaries of the Vigilance Committees who fail to conduct regular meetings of the Vigilance Committees. The said Circular also contains instructions that the concerned Additional Collector and Controller of Rationing, Mumbai should personally monitor that henceforth the meetings of the Vigilance Committees are conducted regularly and they should ensure that the report regarding this is submitted to the Secretary of this Department by 15 th day of every month. The State Government vide Circular dated 18.2.2013 has issued instructions that meetings of the Taluka and District level vigilance committees should be held on every Lokshahi Din and wide publicity should be given to these meetings. It is also instructed that complaints received from public regarding supply department should be discussed and resolved in these meetings.

The State Government vide Government Resolution dated 8.1.2015 has issued guidelines regarding functioning of Vigilance Committees constituted at various levels.

The directions has been also given to all Deputy Commissioners (Supply), Controller of Rationing and Director of Supply, Mumbai that they should submit monthly report of the meetings of Vigilance Committees at all levels before 15 th day of the next month and annual report of the financial year before 20 th April of the next year vide Government Circular dated 05.04.2019.

The updated information from January 2023 to December 2023, regarding Vigilance Committees and meetings held is given below.