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Thursday, Jun 26, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Minister warns rice smugglers

Special Correspondent

Officials asked to maintain round-the-clock vigil along State borders

CHENNAI: Food Minister E.V. Velu has directed Civil Supplies Department officials to take stringent action against those smuggling PDS rice and other ration articles.

He wanted the officials to keep a round-the-clock vigil along the State’s borders to prevent the smuggling of ration articles.

Inaugurating a training programme for tahsildars attached to the flying squad here on Wednesday, Mr.Velu said they had powers to take direct action against those smuggling PDS commodities.

As every tahsildar had a jurisdiction of over 40 fair price shops, they should take steps to weed out bogus ration cards and conduct surprise checks on vehicles carrying essential commodities from the godowns of the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation to ration shops.

The tahsildars should conduct surprise audit of stock in TNCSC godowns and rice mills. Steps should be taken to cancel the licences of lorries and autos used for smuggling and driving licences of vehicle drivers.

Commissioner of Civil Supplies K. Rajaraman said tahsildars were given training in Acts, rules, and procedures to be followed while dealing with cases involving smuggling of PDS articles.

He said if cardholders had any information about smuggling of PDS articles they could pass on the information to authorities over telephones: 94450 45601 (headquarters), 94450 45602 (Chennai North) and 94450 45603 (Chennai South).

More numbers were available on consumer.tn.gov.in, he added.

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