CHENNAI: A division bench of the Madras High Court was told on Monday that a set of smugglers of rice, meant for public distribution system (PDS), were regularly arrested on rotation to show the records.
When a habeas corpus writ petition challenging the detention of a person allegedly for smuggling PDS rice came up on Monday, Justices N Kirubakaran and P Rajamanickam were told that the detainee was one of the persons regularly detained on rotation.
It is not only the petitioner, but there are also 150 to 200 people more, who are detained on rotation by the officials only for the purpose of showing statistics as if they are prompt in taking action against the offending people.
When the judges were told that the PDS rice was being diverted to other states in huge quantities in railway wagons, they replied that the same could not happen without the connivance of the higher officials, who are entrusted with the sovereign function of the distribution of PDS rice. People, who carry small quantities of rice, are being targeted, they added.
The bench was also told that the rice distributed under the PDS was double-boiled rice. The double boiled rice is procured only to see that the rice is stored for a long time and it does not get spoiled. Under these circumstances, more queries deserve to be raised, the judges said and issued a set of questions: How many ration card-holders are getting free rice and what is the quantity of rice each card-holder is entitled to every month?
What is the quantity of the PDS rice meant for public distribution every year free of cost? Whether the said rice is sufficient or in excess or deficient for the needs of the family card-holders? How many civil supply staff/officials have been booked for diverting the rice, which is meant for public distribution? If it is so, give the details of people against whom the cases have been filed, the court said.
The matter will be taken up on November 1.