The Civil Supplies CID (CS-CID) will tighten checks across Coimbatore district to prevent illegal hoarding of rice meant to be distributed through the public distributions system (ration rice) and smuggling of the same to Kerala.
J. Radhakrishnan, Secretary, Department of Cooperation, Food and Consumer Protection, gave the instructions to officials after inspecting the inter-State check-post at Walayar late on Saturday. He directed CS-CID officials to be careful and diligent while conducting vehicle checks to prevent smuggling of ration rice to Kerala. They have been asked to cover all the roads to Kerala.
According to CS-CID officials, people engaged in rice smuggling collect rice in small quantities from ration card holders who do not use it for cooking. Rice collected through agents at nominal rates are hoarded in houses and small warehouses near the inter-State border. They use vehicles ranging from moped to car for smuggling the rice to Kerala, officials said.
As a minimal number of staff are working for CS-CID, checking border check-posts round-the-clock was impossible. Mr. Radhakrishnan also directed CS-CID officials to build networks for intelligence in every village to get alerts on rice smuggling.
