Madras HC seeks TNCSC report on steps taken to improve quality of PDS commodities
MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court recently directed the managing director of the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) to submit a report on the follow-up action taken by the committee, which was constituted following an order passed by the court on September 13, 2021, to suggest measures to enhance the quality of commodities supplied through Public Distribution System (PDS).
Justice B Pugalendhi gave the direction while hearing a batch of petitions filed by some hulling agents, who were engaged by the corporation to supply PDS rice to TNCSC but were blacklisted on charges of re-circulating old PDS rice.
The hulling agents claimed that TNCSC is procuring different types of paddy from the farmers and are supplying the same to the hulling agents without any segregation. While processing different qualities of paddy, certainly the quality of the resultant rice would vary, they added.
However, the TNCSC contended that the agents were playing fraud. TNCSC procures paddy from farmers and supplies it to hulling agents for processing. The resultant rice, i.e., PDS rice, is double-boiled and has a brown tint. The corporation is also maintaining certain unique techniques like identification of thread, gunny, etc., to identify the PDS rice, it explained. But, it was found during inspections that the petitioners purchased the already distributed PDS rice from ration card holders and re-circulated it to TNCSC, instead of the freshly processed rice. Meanwhile, the agents sell the fresh paddy, supplied to them by TNCSC, in the open market, TNCSC alleged.
Justice Pugalendhi recalled that following a direction issued by the court in September 2021, the government has formed a four-member committee under the chairmanship of the Commissioner of Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection to suggest ways to improve the quality of PDS goods.
He expressed that he would like to know the steps taken by the committee, before proceeding with the case. The next hearing is on June 7.