The Civil Supplies Department will deploy two special squads in the district to track black-marketing and hoarding of essential items that should be supplied only through the Public Distribution System (PDS). The squads will operate in Vadakara, Koyilandy, Thamarassery and Kozhikode taluks.
The squads were formed on the directions of the district-level Food Advisory Committee chaired by the District Collector. They will monitor unreasonable price hike and unavailability of essential commodities as well as secret retail of PDS products through private outlets.
Civil Supplies Department officials said the squads would be active till September 2. Monitoring of prices in the vegetable market too will be part of regular inspections by the squads, which have been formed in view of the Onam festival, they said, adding that complaints about such suspicious practices would be addressed.
According to the officials, grievances raised by some ration dealers in the city with regard to the suspected shortage of ration supplies will be settled through discussions.
A meeting will be convened soon at the collectorate to address the dealers’ concerns as well as labour issues in the backdrop of the supply of stock from the Thikkodi FCI godown.
An department official said the process of eliminating those who had illegally secured entry into the ration priority list was on with the assistance of a separate inspection wing. “We have a list of 39,000 persons waiting for entry into the priority list, which is possible only if ineligible candidates are excluded from the list,” he added. The official also confirmed that the district supply office of the department had completed the distribution of 98% of new rations cards to beneficiaries. So far, 2.30 lakh consumers have secured priority ration cards for availing PDS services, he said.
