Chennai, Jan 07 (KNS): Member of Parliament Chowdry Mohammad Ramzan participated in a high-level meeting in Chennai on “Transportation of Foodgrains and Optimizing Movement through Railways”, where key issues related to foodgrain logistics, storage, allocation and the Public Distribution System (PDS) were discussed with senior officials of the Centre, Railways and State government.
The meeting was attended by the Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu, the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), the Director General (Storage & Movement), Department of Food & Public Distribution, Government of India, and the Chief General Manager, Southern Railway.
During the discussions, the MP pointed out that Tamil Nadu continues to be categorised as a food-deficient State despite improvements in procurement and distribution mechanisms, and remains dependent on sustained inflows of foodgrains through the PDS.
He said that while Tamil Nadu faces specific logistical pressures, challenges related to foodgrain transportation, storage inefficiencies and distribution gaps are also evident in Jammu and Kashmir and several other States.
The MP said that rising food price inflation has placed a burden on common households, making an efficient and leak-proof PDS critical.
He noted that any disruption, delay, diversion or wastage in foodgrain movement directly adds to inflationary pressure and affects the poorest and most vulnerable sections the most.
Raising concerns over the ration card system, he highlighted anomalies such as multiple ration cards within a single household and the exclusion of genuine beneficiaries.
He said such distortions undermine food security and social justice, and stressed that left-out but eligible families should be provided foodgrains as an interim measure until a fresh and comprehensive survey is conducted.
Expressing concern over instances of rotten and damaged foodgrains, the MP said wastage of food is unacceptable at a time of rising prices and widespread dependence on subsidised supplies. He called for strict action against negligence in handling, transportation and storage.
On infrastructure, the MP said government godowns must be made hygienic and suitable for long-term storage, with proper sanitation, pest control and regular quality checks. He also stressed the need for end-to-end monitoring systems to track foodgrains from procurement to delivery at fair price shops.
Referring to railway-based logistics, the MP raised concerns over diversion, pilferage and the role of middlemen at railway siding points, leading to leakages and unauthorised sale of foodgrains.
He called for strict implementation of existing policies, stronger enforcement and clear accountability to eliminate such practices.
The MP also pointed out that PDS allocations are still based on the 2011 Census, despite population growth over the past decade.
He said this mismatch results in shortages at the ground level and weakens food security, and called for urgent rationalisation of allocations in line with current demographic data.
He urged the authorities to ensure efficient transportation, transparent logistics, hygienic storage and timely delivery of foodgrains to government godowns so that supplies reach intended beneficiaries across all States, including Tamil Nadu and Jammu and Kashmir, without loss or diversion.
He said strengthening foodgrain management is essential to control food price inflation, protect the poor and restore public trust in the PDS.
All Members of Parliament present at the meeting were accorded a welcome and were felicitated by senior officials.(KNS)
