PDS number enough for cardless ration supply across outlets: Minister P Venkataramanan

CHENNAI: Ration card holders in the State can now buy essential commodities without even holding a PDS card, as the government has advised outlets to accept a soft copy or even a family card number.

Food and Civil Supplies Department Minister P Venkataramanan announced in the House on Thursday that such flexibility is being made available to buy from any ration shop, not just the one the card is registered with.

Replying to the debate over grant demands for the department, he said that beneficiaries could use a soft copy of their ration card or simply provide the card number to obtain commodities. "It is not mandatory to get commodities from the fair price shop to which the ration card is attached. They can buy them from any ration shop across the State," he said.

Family members whose names and biometric details are registered with the ration card can also obtain commodities through fingerprint or iris authentication, the minister said.

Tamil Nadu has 38,438 fair price shops, he said, adding that the government was taking steps to procure more fine varieties of rice. The department had also obtained land belonging to the Dharmapuram Adheenam for use as paddy storage godowns, Venkataramanan said.

He said full-time fair price shops would be established in urban areas when 800 families were attached to a shop, and in rural areas when the number reached 500. Part-time shops would be considered where 150 families were attached.

The minister's remarks on alleged bribes at paddy procurement centres, however, triggered protests from DMK members.

Former minister Govi Chezhiaan alleged that farmers were being made to pay Rs 50 to Rs 60 per bag at procurement centres and questioned whether the government was willing to admit that such practices continued under the present regime.

Former minister K N Nehru said such payments were still being collected. "Whoever takes the bribe, people know," he said.

Minister Aadhav Arjuna said the issue was about farmers and not politics. He said even DMK MLA K Poondi Kalaivanan had raised the issue of bribes during the previous regime.

He also alleged that farmer organisations had complained of interference by local-body representatives and political functionaries at procurement centres.

"Political interference exists at paddy procurement centres. Our stand is that it should not be there," Arjuna said.

Venkataramanan said the TVK government was taking action wherever irregularities were corrected.