Madras HC: PDS Rice To Be Given To Families Below Poverty Line!

This came under the observation of the Madras High Court on Thursday, November 22^nd on a petition that challenged the detention under the Goondas Act of a person who was accused of smuggling and selling PDS rice. This was brought into consideration that the government has been providing free rice and few other grocery items to anyone who had a ration card whereas the main motto of the government initially was to provide the people below the poverty line with products of their bare necessities.

The HC mentioned that free ration to everyone has made the people as they observed that people did had stopped working hard enough to earn two times meal for their families. It was also observed that people were hiring workers even for minimal work which can be easily done by themselves as well. A bench comprising Justices N Kirubakaran and Abdul Quddhose said, “Consequently, people have started to expect everything for free from the government and as a result of that they have become lazy and migrant workers were being brought for even menial works.”

The HC said that the governments had started distributing PDS to everyone with a ration card for political reasons which was not the actual plan. The government has decided to restrict the distribution of PDS rice to only the ones who are from backward and poor economical background and who really are in need of this facility and not to those who earn good enough amount of money and bear their families mundane expenses. The bench has even directed the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation to file its annual report for the past 10 years and posted the matter for further hearing which will be held on November 30.