TN Food Minister’s libel notice admits graft in lentil purchase, claims Arappor Iyakkam

CHENNAI: The defamation notice issued by Food Minister P Sakkarapani has admitted that the market price of Canadian whole yellow lentils is Rs 130 per kg as against the procurement price of Rs 160 per kg, claimed city-based anti-graft organisation Arappor Iyakkam.

In a complaint to the Chief Minister, DVAC director and others, its convenor Jayaram Venkatesan said an FIR should be filed based on the complaint alleging corruption amounting to Rs 39 crore in the procurement of toor dal for PDS shops, and departmental action should be initiated against the officials.

After Arappor submitted a complaint on June 19 alleging corruption in the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Department, he received a defamation notice seeking Rs one crore, he said. It said officials told the minister that the bidders had quoted between Rs 172 to Rs 165 and the price was fixed at Rs 160 per kg after subsequent negotiations.

“Further, our client states that the price of Rs 130 is for whole Canadian yellow lentils. It is basic common knowledge that for the purposes of domestic cooking and consumption, the people use only split lentils and not whole lentils,” the notice said, adding that the cost goes up to at least Rs 160 because the wholesalers supplied it after splitting the lentils, and incurred cost for “daily wages for processing packaging, transportation and other charges”.

However, the bids submitted and confirmation orders were for whole lentils, and the ration shops have always been supplying imported Canadian Yellow lentils as whole.

“It becomes important for me to submit the defamation notice sent by the minister as additional documentary evidence to my complaint dated June 19,” he said.