At a time when ration card holders in the Union Territory are facing the problem of inadequate supply of rice and other grains, the fair price shops have added to their woes by allegedly supplying sub-standard wheat in the last few days.
Women who queued to the ration shops were shocked to receive poor quality wheat. Some declined to take the stock even if it was offered “free of cost”.
K.Parameshwari of Mettupalayam said, “Wheat supplied by a ration shop here was of sub-standard quality. Half the quantity of grains was filled with clay, stones, unhusked wheat, and rust. We don’t know whether the government expects us to accept food grains of such inferior quality.”
S. Mari of Pudupet said as the early takers were shocked to receive the supply of substandard wheat, a large number of cardholders were totally averse to avail of their stock and refused to buy in spite of goading by the shop keepers.
The complaints by cardholders regarding the poor quality wheat is quite widespread in the city.
K.Sethuselvam, CPI functionary said, “We detected substandard wheat being supplied in fair price shops at Pudupet, Lawspet, Pakkamudayanpet, Vinobha Nagar, Muthulingampet and Goundampalayam. Even though the government supplied four kilo wheat at free of cost to the beneficiaries, the supply was totally unfit for consumption.
Congress demands resignation
Pointing to public complaints of poor quality wheat, Leader of Opposition and Congress leader V. Vaithilingam demanded that Chief Minister N. Rangasamy quit the portfolio of the Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs owning moral responsibility
Calling for a probe by the CBI, he alleged irregularities in procurement and distribution of wheat through the PDS.
CPI agitation for probe
Seeking for high level probe into the supply of substandard wheat, the CPI announced that it would conduct an agitation before the Civil Supplies Department on Friday.
The CPI unit secretary R. Viswanathan said the Department of Civil Supplies stated that the wheat was supplied by Food Corporation of India and however the latter totally denied that was from FCI.
A largescale irregularity has occurred in the supply of wheat to the public, he alleged.
When contacted, a Civil Supplies Department official said the complaints were being looked into.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that supply of the inferior wheat has been suspended in some of the PDS outlets.
