‘Find ways to restrict free rice distribution only to BPL families’

A division bench of Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice Abdul Quddhose on finding that as much as Rs 2,110 crore was spent for supply of free rice in 2017-18, said “This court is not against distribution of rice to the really deserving economically backward and poor people. But it should not be given irrespective of people’s economic status. Government spends more than Rs 2,000 crore and the money spent in this head would be like ‘capital loss’ and the expenditure occurs every year and it’s a ‘recurring capital loss’, though it serves the people.”

Also, holding that though it is obligatory on the State’s part to provide bare necessities like rice and other groceries to the poor, successive government had extended the benefits to all for political gains, the bench said “If the scheme benefits people other than the poor/BPL families, it would amount to unjustly enriching other people at the cost of public exchequer.”

While advocate general Vijay Narayan sought time to get instructions as to whether the scheme could be amended to exclude others, the bench also directed the State to provide details about the number of families below the poverty line in Tamil Nadu and if rice is distributed only to them, what the volume and value of rice required would be. Also, recording the submission made by an advocate that 3000 bags of PDS rice have become rotten owing to improper storage, the bench on directing the Civil Supplies Corporation to verify the same also sought its annual report for the past 10 years and the number of bags wasted owing to poor  storage or for any other reason during that period.

Earlier, the bench led by Justice Kirubakaran on perusing a report submitted by the State that 442 staff/officials have been booked under Goondas Act for indulging in malpractices regarding PDS rice for the past 10 years, sought year wise details with their designation to find whether lower level officials or higher-level officials have been detained under Goondas Act. The plea is posted for further hearing to November 30.