The Tamil Nadu BJP has alleged a Rs 100 crore scam in pulse procurement for Deepavali, citing severe shortages of pulses and palm oil in Ration shops. Despite Minister R Sakkarapani’s assurance of sufficient supplies, people are frustrated due to delayed pulse supplies.
In a statement issued by Tamil Nadu BJP Spokesperson ANS Prasad alleges, “Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation invited tenders on September 10, 2024, but awarded contracts to five companies at Rs 131 per kilogram, resulting in a loss of at least Rs 100 crore. The BJP demands the Chief Minister investigate and take action against those responsible. Shortages persist even in the Chief Minister’s constituency, Kolathur. Ration shop CB 047 has no toor dal stock, contradicting Minister Sakkarapani’s claims of adequate supplies”.
He listed out the companies involved in the scam :
Puds (47,000 metric tons)
Integrated Service Bond (4,700 metric tons)
Mumbai Patta International Limited (4,700 metric tons)
Vasumathi Traders (4,700 metric tons)
Muthurthy Traders (3,000 metric tons)
Total: 20,000 metric tons
Prasad said “only 4,000 metric tons have been supplied so far, despite the contract requiring delivery by October 16, 2024. Contractors are allegedly trying to maximise profits by supplying lower-priced pulses at Rs 131, despite insufficient stock”.
BJP urges the CM MK Stalin-led DMK Government to address the shortage, investigate the scam, and ensure the quality of the supply to the public.
In the same issue, Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi Srinivasan has urged the TN Government to ensure the availability of toor dal in rations across the state before Deepavali. In a facebook post, she mentioned that ration card holders in the state usually receive 1 kg of toor dal per month through fair-price shops. She said that the distribution of dal and Palm oil (one-litre pouch) at subsided rates of Rs. 30 and Rs 25, respectively, had not been properly implemented for over six months. In his post, the BJP MLA said that for three months, no one had received tor dal or palm oil. In the past several months, it was distributed only for a few days.
Vanathi Srinivasan said that toor dal is being sold for up to Rs 200 per kilo in the open market, and the poor and middle-class cardholders are dependent on the toor dal and palm oil distributed through ration shops. She said, “With only 14 days left for Deepawali, out of 20,000 tons of toor dal ordered for distribution through rations, only 3,473 tons have been supplied. The BJP MLA accused the Government of negligence, saying that there are issues in the timely delivery of the remaining 16,527 tons of toor dal. Vanathi Srinivasan said, “ Government’s inability to give toor dal to all 1.8 crore eligible rations cardholders before Deepawali will severely affect the poor and the middle-class people”.
Asking the Government to “wake up from its slumber’, she has urged the Government to ensure procurement of toor dal on a war footing and available to everyone before Deepavali. CM Stalin should intervene and ensure the availability of all products including palm oil before Deepavali”.
