Dindigul: In ration shops in Dindigul district, rice, pulses and other products are reduced in weight and innocent people are suffering as they are forced to buy other products.
1074 ration shops on behalf of cooperatives, 12 by women’s self-help groups, 19 ration shops by Tamil Nadu Consumer Goods Corporation and 1000 ration shops provide rice, pulses and sugar to the people through ration shops.
The products offered in this way are underweight and sometimes measured by hand rather than weighing on scales.
Due to this, there is a dispute between the people who come to buy the goods and the sellers of the shop.
It is also customary to identify troublemakers and wave them away the next time they come to buy.
Murugeshwari, housewife, Dindigul: If they buy rice, they give only 17-18 kg for 20 kg. They reduce the weight of 150 grams per kg of pulses and sugar.
If you put 18 kg weight in the ration shop and check the weight in other places, the weight will decrease further.
If you ask, they say you can put it like this. They force you to buy things like salt, soap, semiya while buying things. They say that they can supply rice and other products only if they buy these. The authorities should take action to prevent this from happening, he said.
If there are complaints, action will be taken
District Supply Officer Saravanan: We will take action against shop staff if underweight is found during inspection.
Employers should not force people to buy non-essential items. People can buy if they want.
Public can report their grievances on the toll free number 1967, 1800 4255901. If there are complaints, action will be taken, he said.