‘No clarity on wheat distribution at PDS shops’

The state government announcement on supply of free wheat to rice cardholders from February 15 has confused consumers and fair price shop salesmen with the latter complaining that they have not received any instructions on how exactly to go about this exercise.

According to a Cooperation, Food and Consumer Protection (D1) Department GO dated February 2, 2017, the state government announced free wheat for all rice cardholders subject to availability. It would be 10 kg per card per month for Chennai and surrounding areas, 10 kg in all district headquarters and 5 kg in other areas.

Similarly rice cardholders would be permitted to buy wheat instead of rice and cited an example where if a family was entitled to 25 kg rice per month, they could opt for 10/5 kg wheat and the rest as rice.

Following a suggestion by the civil supplies commissioner where it was suggested that since Tamil Nadu implemented the National Food Security Act, wheat could not be sold to priority households at more than Rs 2 per kg (Central issue price), the above suggestion was mooted as rice was supplied free under the state PDS to both priority and no priority households. 

Officials said the free distribution scheme was the only way to use up the state’s wheat allotment as it was entitled to receive 8,893 metric tonnes (MT) wheat at Rs 2 per kg and another 4,592 kg wheat at Rs 6.10 per kg, totalling 13, 485 MT wheat per month. This worked out to 1.62 lakh MT wheat allotment of the total 36.78 lakh MT food grain allotment to Tamil Nadu under NFSA. 

But, salesmen opine that though they were asked to supply wheat free of cost, they had no idea about other details and hence could not begin distribution of the grain. 

However, senior officials of the civil supplies department said that the GO had mentioned everything clearly and that there was no ambiguity with regard to the distribution details.