TIRUPPUR: Complaints have arisen among the public of Tiruppur regarding the poor quality of rice distributed to PDS cardholders at ration shops. The public and political parties have demanded that only good quality rice should be distributed through ration shops.
R Selvaraj, CPM’s taluk committee member of Kangeyam, said, “A total of 125 ration shops, comprising both full-time and part-time, are operating across the Kangeyam taluk of Tiruppur district. Essential commodities are distributed to over 80,000 PDS cards through these shops.
The rice, an essential item distributed at many ration shops in the Vellakoil, Kangeyam, Muthur and Sivanmalai areas, is of very poor quality, particularly in July. Most of the poor and underprivileged living in rural areas of the district rely heavily on items such as rice, lentils and palm oil distributed through ration shops.”
“Two days ago, a villager purchased 15 kg of rice from a ration shop in Sivanmalai, but the rice was of very poor quality. When he asked the salesperson about this, he did not get a proper answer. This situation prevails in many shops. Therefore, the administration must take appropriate measures to supply quality rice through ration shops,” he added.
“Besides, smuggling of quality ration rice from Tiruppur district to Kerala continues. The government should prevent this too,” he said.
S Girija, from Avinashi, said, “The PDS rice I bought at the ration shop a few days ago was very poor quality and contained dust.”
P Kavery, another local, said, “The rice distributed to us at a PDS shop in Avinashi last week was very brown and of poor quality.” A senior official of the civil supplies and consumer protection department said, “We are monitoring the supply of essential commodities across the district. There is a possibility of complaints in some shops. We have instructed salespersons through TSOs to provide quality rice to the public. However, due attention will be paid to these complaints.”
“If the rice is not in good quality, the public can immediately lodge a complaint or return it and obtain quality rice,” the official added.
“A PDS storage warehouse for Avinashi taluk is located in the Anaipudur area. Only the rice currently in stock there is being distributed,” another official of Avinashi taluk said.