Adilabad: PDS rice ends up in black market

Adilabad: The proof that the public distribution system (PDS) rice mafia is running smoothly without any hurdles is the ration rice that has been caught during inspections. Though civil supply officials and police have been trying hard to stop the illegal ration rice business, the illegal business is going on unabated.

In Adilabad district, there are 1,74,228 ration cards including 272 Annapurna cards and 14,034 Anthodya card. About 6,468 metric tonnes of PDS rice will be distributed per month. Many people don't want to consume the ration rice due to its poor quality. Taking this advantage, ration rice mafia will buy ration rice from such people in villages and towns as soon as the rice is distributed in ration shops every month. The government is providing ration rice at a cost of Rs 1 per kg to the ration card holders. This rice reaches the millers through middlemen, who buy it for Rs 10 per kg and some of it will go to neighboring States like Maharashtra.

It was alleged that the ration rice will be polished and will be mixed with other thinner rice of price ranging from Rs 30 to Rs 40 per kg.

Only eight cases were registered for illegal transportation of public distribution system rice from this January till date and seized 575 quintals of rice. Of these eight cases, two were booked against ration dealers and five vehicles were detained.

The State government is providing 10 kg rice free of cost to the poor to provide food to them during the corona pandemic. Taking advantage of the situation, rice mafia is moving ration rice to black market.

Recently, a vehicle was seized with a load of 205 quintals of PDS rice at Bhoraj check post in Adilabad, which was being transported to Maharashtra State.