Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 06, 2007
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Online edition of India's National Newspaper Tuesday, Nov 06, 2007 ePaper |
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Tamil Nadu
TIRUCHI: Tiruchi District Rice Mill Owners and Paddy-Rice Merchants Association has threatened to launch an agitation if the district authorities continued to ‘harass’ rice mill owners and retail rice merchants under the pretext of conducting checks to prevent smuggling of rice meant for public distribution system (PDS). The general body meeting of the association held here recently alleged that rice mill owners and retail traders were being subjected to frequent checks by officials of the Revenue Department and Food Cell. Cases were booked without obtaining a certificate from the Civil Supplies Department to prove that the seized rice was meant for the PDS, alleged a resolution adopted at the meeting. Briefing reporters here on Saturday, association president M. Chinnasamy cited a few incidents, including seizure of a lorry carrying broken rice though the consignment was certified as non-PDS rice by Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation. The lorry was sent to a trader in Tiruchi from a Manapparai rice mill on September 16. The lorry and the consignment were released only after a court directive was obtained. Recently, a retail dealer at Palakkarai was summoned to his shop at odd hours for conducting a check. State Food Minister E. V. Velu and department officials had clearly assured that cases would be booked only if the TNCSC certified that the seized consignment was meant for PDS. But the district authorities clearly violated the assurance, he alleged. Mr.Chinnasamy said that this was one of the main reasons for the sharp rise in the price of coarse variety rice in the city by Rs.300 to Rs. 400 a bag. Though a few unscrupulous elements may be indulging in smuggling PDS rice, it was unfair on the part of the district authorities to ‘harass’ rice mill owners and retail traders under the pretext of conducting checks, he said. If the district officials continued with their ‘high-handed approach’, the association members would close down the rice mills and retail shops and resort to a fast in front of the Collectorate on November 30, he said. He also appealed to the Food Minister to intervene and issue directions to the district officials.
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