Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Government will supply soon quality rice through the public distribution system (public distribution system), Food and Civil Supplies Minister R. Sakkarapani This was informed to the Assembly on Wednesday.
Following the instructions of Chief Minister MK Stalin, the department has directed rice mills including private ones to install color sorter machines to ensure supply of quality rice. Responding to the debate on the demand for grants for his department, the minister said that the government has fixed August 31 as the deadline for the mills to install the machines, despite the mill owners asking for time by the end of September.
“The machines will also be installed in modern rice mills run by the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation,” he said.
He said the previous AIADMK government at the end of its regime had procured 1.5 lakh metric tonnes of poor quality rice to be distributed through PDS to cardholders.
DMK’s M Panneerselvam and Congress’ S Rajeshkumar said the quality of rice distributed through PDS was unfit for human consumption. “We took this issue to the notice of the minister (Sakkarapani) when he inspected our district. In return, the minister directed the officials to stop the distribution of rice,” said Panneerselvam from Sirkazi constituency.
Kiliyur MLA Rajeshkumar also said the same and appealed to the government to reconsider the quality standards of PDS rice. He further said that many poor families were not getting rice as their cards were registered under the non-priority household category.
Kulithalai MLA R Manickam said poor quality boiled rice was procured from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for the PDS, resulting in 9.5% wastage of rice. The state government is incurring losses due to wastage of rice.
“We have conducted field inspections in 24 districts and have taken necessary measures to ensure supply of quality rice to the cardholders,” said Sakkarapani. He said that the department is looking into the issue of misclassification of ration cards.
Following the instructions of Chief Minister MK Stalin, the department has directed rice mills including private ones to install color sorter machines to ensure supply of quality rice. Responding to the debate on the demand for grants for his department, the minister said that the government has fixed August 31 as the deadline for the mills to install the machines, despite the mill owners asking for time by the end of September.
“The machines will also be installed in modern rice mills run by the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation,” he said.
He said the previous AIADMK government at the end of its regime had procured 1.5 lakh metric tonnes of poor quality rice to be distributed through PDS to cardholders.
DMK’s M Panneerselvam and Congress’ S Rajeshkumar said the quality of rice distributed through PDS was unfit for human consumption. “We took this issue to the notice of the minister (Sakkarapani) when he inspected our district. In return, the minister directed the officials to stop the distribution of rice,” said Panneerselvam from Sirkazi constituency.
Kiliyur MLA Rajeshkumar also said the same and appealed to the government to reconsider the quality standards of PDS rice. He further said that many poor families were not getting rice as their cards were registered under the non-priority household category.
Kulithalai MLA R Manickam said poor quality boiled rice was procured from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for the PDS, resulting in 9.5% wastage of rice. The state government is incurring losses due to wastage of rice.
“We have conducted field inspections in 24 districts and have taken necessary measures to ensure supply of quality rice to the cardholders,” said Sakkarapani. He said that the department is looking into the issue of misclassification of ration cards.
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