CHENNAI: To prevent smuggling of essential commodities meant for public distribution, the government has decided to introduce QR code-based security system for transportation of rice, wheat and toor dal in The Nilgiris district. This was disclosed by Food and Civil Supplies Minister R Sakkarapani in a document presented during a recent Assembly session. The project has received an allocation of Rs 62.82 lakh for 2023-24.
Each bag of essential commodity will be affixed with a QR code containing information about the source, destination and quantity. The code will be scanned at various checkpoints during transportation, ensuring it is not smuggled.
“A few months ago, the QR code security system was introduced in Kundah taluk of The Nilgiris on pilot basis, which will be extended to all six taluks of the district. However, implementation on a larger scale requires huge technological infrastructure. Depending on the outcome of the project, it will be extended across the state,” an official said.
The Nilgiris is allocated 1.76 lakh kg of toor dal, 39.69 lakh kg of rice and 72,500 kg of wheat per month. About 2.19 lakh ration cards are serviced through 399 fair-price shops. The transportation of rice from mills to civil supplies corporation godowns and then to ration shops will be under surveillance.
Trucks carrying goods are already equipped with GPS and monitored. “For implementing QR code system, a large number of scanning machines, CCTV cameras, dedicated control and vehicle tracking systems are required. As part of the project, all faulty CCTV cameras will be replaced,” the official said.
According to sources, about 95% of transactions at ration shops are authenticated through Aadhaar. “About 1.86 crore ration card holders purchase rice, sugar and pulses a month through fair price shops. The share of pilferage from these shops is negligible compared to other sources,” an official from the cooperation department said. About 3.2 tonnes of rice is supplied through fair-price shops a month.
The system will bring transparency to transportation and reduce manual inspections at multiple points.
The criminal investigation department of TN civil supplies has taken several steps to prevent the smuggling of PDS rice from bordering districts to Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Although the steps have yielded significant results, smuggling continues owing to the high demand for rice cultivated in the state. According to official records, the civil supplies CID has booked 9,325 cases between January 1 and December 31 in 2022 in connection with the smuggling of PDS rice, kerosene and domestic LPG cylinders. Authorities have seized 67,511 quintals of rice (equivalent to 5.3 lakh kg per month), arrested 9,942 people and seized 2,040 vehicles.
“Apart from truck drivers and agents, cases have been filed against mill owners, employees of civil supplies corporations who manage godowns and ration shop workers,” a CID police officer said.