Only to ensure that those living below the poverty line have their daily meal irrespective of their income, the Tamilnadu government has been providing rice free of cost for family cards at ration shops, under the public distribution system. But the rice, meant for free distribution, is being smuggled and sold in the blackmarket, an act which deserves strong punishment. In a recent submission to the Madras High Court, the State government has admitted that 442 government officials and 1,490 other individuals have been booked and detained in the past 10 years for PDS rice smuggling.
“Out of the 1,490, 131 have been detained more than once under the Prevention of Blackmarketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act. This includes 15 people detained more than thrice,” said Principal Secretary, Co-operation, Food and Consumer Protection Department, Dayanand Kataria, who made the submission through an affidavit in response to a series of queries raised by a division bench of justices N Kirubakaran and Abdul Quddhose in connection with rice smuggling. The court had 1 October directed the Additional Public Prosecutor to file a report on the loss caused to the exchequer and the steps against those smuggling rice.
The public distribution system in Tamilnadu is one of the largest in the country. Sample these figures to know it better: As of September 2018, 1.88 crore family cardholders have been getting free rice. The quantity of rice allotted from January 2018 to October 2018 was 32,27,200 metric tonnes. The value of rice distributed to ration card holders for 2017-18 was approximately Rs 2,110 crore and the number of cardholders was rising every month owing to splitting and increasing of families. According to activists, huge amount of rice is being smuggled and cartels are involved in it. The government should view this in a more serious way and those involved in this cheap act should be booked under stringent laws. Only then, the purpose of feeding the poor will be fulfilled.