Prevent smuggling of ration rice, urges PMK

CHENNAI: Pointing out smuggling of ration rice earmarked for PDS supply has resulted in a loss of Rs 1,900 crore to the State government, PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss urged the government to take stringent measures to prevent the smuggling of food grains.

"A survey conducted by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations has revealed that a loss of Rs 69,000 crore was incurred across the country due to smuggling in 2022-23. In Tamil Nadu, Rs 1,900 Crore was lost. In 2022-23, as much as 5.2 lakh tonnes of rice did not reach the beneficiaries in Tamil Nadu. This is 15.80 per cent of the total rice released for distribution," he said.

He added that one of the researchers opined that the missing rice was sold in an outside market or exported.

"The smuggling cannot happen without the support of government and officials. During the same period, the State government seized only 42,500 tonnes of smuggled rice worth Rs 2.5 crore. Since the lorries transporting rice to ration shops from storage facilities are fitted with GPS devices, rice smuggling cannot be done without the involvement of higher officials," he alleged.

Recalling that the government allocated Rs 7,500 crore for food subsidy in 2022-23, Anbumani said that one-fifth of that allocation did not go to the people. "The government should order a central investigation about the rice smuggling," he urged.