Chennai, Jan 4 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Department in a special drive during December 2022 seized 1,991 quintals of Public Distribution System (PDS) rice and the CID police arrested 200 people in relation to this smuggling.

The Civil supplies have also seized 146 litres of kerosene and 43 gas cylinders that were to be supplied to PDS ration shops in the state.

The Tamil Nadu Commissioner for Food and Consumer Protection department in a statement on Wednesday said that the special drive was held between December 12 and 18 to unearth the practice of smuggling PDS materials, including rice, kerosene, and gas.

The Tamil Nadu government has also slapped the Goondas Act against those involved in the smuggling of the PDS commodities into the black market. The state government has been taking action against the PDS smugglers under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and the Prevention of Black Marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980.

There has been an organised network in neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala for PDS smuggling. In the Walayar checkpost bordering Coimbatore and Palakkad in Kerala, a group of people was arrested by the Kerala Police for smuggling in a truckload of PDS rice. The arrested were the office-bearers of the CPI(M) which is ruling in Kerala.