Former staff of T.N. Civil Supplies Corporation complain to CM Vijay over ‘low’ off-take of wheat under PDS

The All India Employees Provident Fund Pensioners Association, comprising former employees of the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC), has complained to Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay that wheat off-take under the public distribution system (PDS) is “low” due to the involvement of vested interests. 

In a letter addressed to the Chief Minister, the association stated that “black marketeers do not get premium prices” from wheat as compared to rice. Consequently, consumers, especially diabetics, had been forced to buy atta at higher prices from the open market.

To remedy the situation, the association suggested to Mr. Vijay that the State government seek higher allotment of wheat from the Centre in lieu of rice. Good quality atta and sooji could be supplied under the PDS. This would reduce illicit diversion of rice, resulting in “substantial savings” for the government. Also, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) could be requested to move wheat directly to assigned roller flour mills instead of routing through the TNCSC’s godowns, a move of which would, in turn, save huge handling and transportation cost.

The association also called for inter-department synergy as it pointed out that the Cooperation Department, under which cooperative societies running fair price shops came under, had been purchasing large quantities of wheat products for PDS outlets and supermarkets. “A unified approach will yield economies of scale,” the association observed.