CHENNAI: Taking serious note of complaints on inferior quality and missing items in Pongal gift hampers, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday ordered departmental action against officials responsible for the fiasco. Stalin also directed officials to blacklist vendors who supplied low-quality items violating the tender norms, said an official release.
The directions were issued by the Chief Minister during a review meeting held at the Secretariat on distribution of Pongal gifts. Officials from Cooperation and Food Supply departments participated in the meeting.
In December, the government announced distribution of Pongal gift hampers for 2.15 crore ration cardholders. For procurement and distribution of 21 items such as Bengal gram, black gram, cashews, raisins, green gram, jaggery, ghee and others, Rs 1,296.88 crore was sanctioned. To ensure that only high-quality products are distributed, the government had ordered that all procured products should comply with FSSAI quality standards.
However, as soon as distribution commenced on January 4, complaints of low-quality jaggery and pepper emerged in several districts. In a few districts, cardholders were given only 15 to 16 items as against 21 due to a shortage.
After pictures of poor-quality jaggery went viral on social media, the TNCSC returned 100 tonnes of jaggery to its suppliers. It also returned pepper and a few other items for replacement.
While Aavin supplied 100 grams of ghee, the Cooperative Department procured cashew nut, raisin, cardamom and sugar cane. The Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) procured the remaining items. "Wherever complaints were received, the damaged items were replaced. Action is being taken against errant officials," said a civil supplies official.
AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam had said the government has wasted Rs 1,250 crore under the pretext of distributing Pongal gifts. "The DMK government has compromised on weight and quality of the products," he alleged in a statement demanding details on how the scheme was executed.