CHENNAI: The absence of a scientific weighing mechanism at Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) godowns, from where rice, sugar, and other essential commodities are dispatched to fair price shops, has allegedly resulted in significant leakage of Public Distribution System (PDS) goods, including several lakh tonnes of rice and other items. The annual loss is estimated at more than `200 crore.
According to sources, the weight of gunny bags loaded at TNCSC godowns is not recorded through an electronic system, but is manually entered by the staff, which is the root cause of the problem. As a result, a rice bag recorded as weighing 50.65 kg often weighs only 47 kg to 48 kg when it reaches ration shops. Since the bags received at ration shops are not weighed before being stocked, the shortage comes to light only when the bags are opened, and rice is distributed to consumers.
Sources alleged that the shortage ranges from 1 kg to 3 kg per bag. To reconcile stock records, ration shop employees are often compelled to adjust the deficit by recording rice purchases against the ration cards of beneficiaries, who have not actually drawn their quota.
Speaking to TNIE, a section of ration shop employees questioned why stock weights continue to be recorded manually at godowns when the entire distribution process at fair price shops has been digitised. “As the point of sale machine is linked to the weighing scale, we now issue receipts based on the exact quantity distributed. However, there is no electronic system to record the weight of trucks transporting gunny bags from godowns,” an employee said.
Another employee pointed out that godown staff record the weight of each rice bag as 50 kg of rice plus a 650 g gunny bag at the time of dispatch. “But the bags never weigh 50.65 kg when they reach ration shops. They are always underweight. It remains a mystery why digitisation has not been implemented at the godown level,” a woman employee said.
The state has 37,328 ration shops, including 26,618 full-time and 10,710 part-time outlets. Each shop receives around 175 to 200 rice bags every month, depending on the number of cardholders. On an average, a shop approximately loses 300 kg to 400 kg of rice every month.
According to FCI norms, a transit loss of up to 1 kg of rice per quintal (100 kg) is permissible during transportation from godowns to ration shops. SR Venkatesan, former joint registrar of the cooperation department, suggested that the issue could be addressed by installing electronic weighbridges at all TNCSC godowns.
“An electronic weighbridge can accurately record the weight of trucks before and after loading and generate digital receipts. This will ensure transparency and help prevent discrepancies,” he said. He added that the cost of installing a weighbridge ranges from `5 lakh to `10 lakh. “Considering the magnitude of losses caused by malpractices, the investment required is relatively small,” he said.
Under PDS, TN requires about 3.5 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of rice every month. Of this, 1.94 lakh MT is supplied by the centre for Priority Household and Antyodaya Anna Yojana beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.
Additionally, the state procures 84,000 MT through a tide-over allocation at `8.33 per kg and another 60,000 MT through the Open Market Sale Scheme at `35.50 per kg for distribution to non-priority cardholders and nutritional programmes. Around 70% to 74% of ration cardholders purchase rice from fair price shops every month. The state’s annual food subsidy expenditure is estimated at `14,500 crore.
While TNCSC managing director P Umanath was not available for comments, TNCSC officials told TNIE that the issue has been brought to their notice and would be examined soon.