Wheat shortage in Kovai PDS shops

COIMBATORE:  PDS beneficiaries complain that they are provided the full quota of wheat at many outlets in the city. They said supervisors tell them that wheat allocation has been reduced. Many cardholders said they either come back without getting wheat or receive less than 3 kg of wheat.
“I am eligible for five kg of wheat. For the last two months, the supervisor distributed only two kg. Even to get this, I had to visit the shop more than two times. The supervisor said they were not supplied with enough stock,” said S Bharathi, a card holder in Singanallur.

A supervisor at an PDS outlet in Ramanathapuram said, “The shop where I am working has 550 cards. For the last four months, wheat allocated for the shop is 3 - 5 bags (each bag contains 50 kg). Even, the supply of wheat to shops is made during the second or third weeks of a month. Consumers vent their anger at us , but what can we do if we do not get the stock?”

G Rajendran, president of Tamil Nadu Fair Price Shop Employees Union, said, “Though there is no fixed entitlement for wheat distribution, supervisors in urban areas have been instructed to distribute five kg per card holder and 2kg in rural areas. As there is no fixed entitlement, a cardholder can get up to 10 kg of wheat. However, shortage in the distribution of wheat to shop has forced the supervisor to limit the quantity.”

M Sivakumari, District Supply Officer, said, “Additional allocation under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY), which was started by the Union government during Covid - 19 pandemic, was stopped from May. Now, Coimbatore district is allocated 500 metric tons of wheat for a month. This is the reason for limiting the quantity.”