The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Bid to smuggle ration rice foiled

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 27, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Bid to smuggle ration rice foiled

Staff Reporter

Kunrathur town panchayat chief intercepts lorry

TAMBARAM : Elected representatives of the Kunrathur Town Panchayat thwarted a bid to smuggle rice meant for distribution through fair price shops at their town on Saturday evening.

Officials said residents of Kunrathur had repeatedly complained to them and Labour Welfare Minister and Alandur MLA T.M. Anbarasan about short measurement and poor quality of rice supplied to cardholders in the eight fair price shops of the Town Panchayat. The Minister, who was formerly president of the town panchayat, instructed officials and elected representatives of the local body to keep a watch.

For the past one week, the officials were maintaining vigil and on Saturday evening, a resident noticed bags of rice being loaded onto a lorry from the fair price shop on Big Street. He informed Ekambaram, vice chairman of the town panchayat, about it. When he enquired, staff at the fair price shop had reportedly replied that they were only transferring the rice to another shop.

The vice chairman called up K. Sathyamurthy, chairman of the town panchayat, on his mobile phone and informed him about the incident and added the lorry was proceeding towards Pallavaram.

On the Kunrathur - Pallavaram Road, the chairman tried to stop the lorry, which was being `escorted' by a motorcyclist in front. Mr. Sathyamurthy pursued the lorry on his motorcycle, intercepted and stopped it after pursuing it for about a kilometre. The incident took place at 8.30 p.m.

Four persons who were inside the lorry abandoned the vehicle and fled from the spot. After being informed, Kunrathur police took the vehicle away.

On inspection, officials found 115 bags of rice, each weighing 75 kilos. They said the quality of rice was good and was meant for sale through the public distribution system under the Rs. 2 a kilo rice scheme. Officials and police suspect that the consignment was headed towards a neighbouring State or meant for sale in the open market at a price of Rs. 8 to Rs. 10 a kilo. Police are searching for five persons, including salesmen working in the fair price shop. Kunrathur police said they would be transferring the case to Civil Supplies CID.

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