Tamil Nadu: No wheat stock in 12,000-odd PDS shops, says Edappadi

CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday criticised the Tamil Nadu government, alleging that wheat allotted by the Union government had not reached ration shops across the State.

In a statement, he said reports indicated that wheat was unavailable in 12,753 fair-price shops, creating hardship for cardholders.

Palaniswami claimed that although the Centre had allotted 8,722 tonnes of wheat for the current month, the State had failed to distribute it properly. He said this reflected a continuing pattern of poor management under the DMK government, recalling recent shortages of toor dal and palm oil. “Even after warnings were issued to the government when shortages occurred earlier, it responded with lethargy,” he wrote.

He alleged that the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation, responsible for procuring and distributing essential commodities, appeared to be “in deep sleep.” From paddy procurement to the distribution of wheat, he said, the government had “totally failed” in ensuring the timely supply of essential goods to the public.

Palaniswami urged the government to take immediate steps to ensure wheat supply reaches all ration shops without delay. He said the uninterrupted supply of essential commodities was the responsibility of the State, and lapses in this aspect directly affected lakhs of families dependent on the Public Distribution System (PDS).

He appealed to the government to rectify the issue quickly and uphold its duty to ensure food security for the poor.