The Congress has alleged massive diversions of rice allocated by the Centre to the State under the public distribution system to the black market.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D.K. Shivakumar said 1,879 quintals of rice supplied to Karnataka from Haryana for distribution to the poor and migrants under the PDS was diverted to the black market. Rice bags have been illegally stored in a godown at Sarjapur in Bengaluru city for sale to a trader in Tamil Nadu, he alleged.
He further alleged that some BJP activists and a leader were involved in the “rice scam” and that they illegally stored rice bags in the godown belonging to a BJP activist without permission from officials of the Food and Civil Supplies Department and the tahsildar.
The Congress leader claimed that party workers ‘unearthed’ the scam after verifying godown stocks with officials of the Food and Civil Supplies department and authorities concerned. Officials said they had not granted any permission to store rice bags in the godown at Sarjapur bordering Tamil Nadu, the State Congress president said.
Mr Shivakumar said instances of diversion of PDS rice and other rations have been reported from other districts of the State. Private shops in urban areas have been selling PDS rice at ₹30 per kg and making profits during the lockdown, he claimed.
He demanded a judicial probe into illegal storage of rice bags and arrest of BJP activists and the leader who were involved in diverting the rice to the black market.
The Congress urged Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurppa to take serious note of this issue and take steps for preventing diversion of rice to the black market.
