Tamil Nadu

Chidambaram moots stir against rice smuggling

MADURAI: The Union Finance Minister and senior Congress leader, P. Chidambaram, has proposed that the party hold State-wide agitations against smuggling of ration rice and increasing price of cement.

Addressing the party’s south zone conference here on Sunday, the Minister complained that there was huge diversion of rice and wheat meant to be sold through the public distribution system (PDS) in many States, including Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. “The Centre is providing Rs. 25,000-crore subsidy for PDS rice and wheat. But, at least 36 per cent of the goods are not reaching the people at all.

Tamil Nadu is no exception to this. While 17 per cent (of the goods) do not reach the ration shops, 19 per cent are diverted from the shops,” he said.

Admitting that making profit out of the demand-supply gap was acceptable in an open market, Mr. Chidambaram, however, said those involved in cement trading were “robbing” (the people). “Is this an independent country or a robber’s country?” he said.

Mr. Chidambaram conceded that his attempts at bringing down the price of cement by revising the excise duty could not yield the desired result.

He supported Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s warning to cement companies in the State of nationalising their factories if they did not bring down the price.

Mr. Chidamabaram called upon the party cadre to stage road roko in front of cement dealers’ office as a mark of protest.

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