Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has directed the authorities to be hardnosed against those indulging in black-marketing, particularly that of subsidised rice by diverting it from the public distribution system.
Stating that sale of subsidised rice by millers after recycling had come to the notice of the government, he directed the Collectors and SPs to punish the offenders sternly. He also suggested the politicians not to intervene in such matters.
At a review meeting held here on Sunday, the officials explained to the Chief Minister how the PDS rice was getting diverted. Police officers opined that the existing laws were not enough to nail the irregularitiesin the management of fair price shops.
Taking a serious view on the subsidised rice reaching middlemen and traders in stead of the needy poor, the Chief Minister asked the officials to register 6-A cases against those diverting the PDS rice, apart from booking criminal cases. He asked the officials to suggested further steps to prevent diversion of PDS rice by studying the systems being implemented in other States.
The Chief Minister said biometric system would have some impact on preventing diversion of PDS rice and asked the officials to decide dates on which FPS would supply commodities across the State to prevent irregularities to some extent. He told the officials to follow a system that would be beneficial to those who would be displaced while acquiring land for irrigation projects and other development schemes. He suggested the officials to decide a package by talking directly to those who would be losing their lands.
Mr. Rao also reiterated that the government was in favour of providing alternative land to the one acquired for such purposes apart from giving compensation and providing employment.
