GUWAHATI: The Assam Tea Tribes Students' Association (ATTSA) on Wednesday appreciated the seizure of Public Distribution System (PDS) rice by BIEO in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia district.
The rice was stored illegally to sell in the black market and so far no arrest has been made in connection with the seizure, sources pointed out.
It should be noted that the Bureau of Investigation Economic Offences (BIEO) on Tuesday has seized 6,415 quintals of illegally stored Public Distribution System (PDS) rice in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia district of Assam.
According to reports, BIEO raided Ms Larua Cooperative Society in Dibrugarh and recovered 4,450 quintals of rice.
Such incidents of rice from the PDS quota being sold in the open market frequently occur in the state. Only a fraction of the rice thus diverted is recovered later. A thriving black market of the PDS items has been operating in the state, defeating the very purpose of the system, which the government originally meant for distribution to the BPL category free of cost or at a nominal price.
Earlier, on the morning of September 6, the Directorate of Food, Civil Supplies And Consumer Affairs seized a truck loaded with rice suspected to belong to the PDS quota, at Khanapara, Guwahati
Speaking to reporters, the Inspector of the Directorate Of Food, Civil Supplies And Consumer Affairs said that, based on classified information, they initiated a search operation, on September 6 morning at around 7.30 AM, and seized the truck loaded with rice.
The truck was heading to Silchar from Nalbari. The Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department suspected that the rice belonged to the Public Distribution System (PDS).
Furthermore, the documents of the truck were also found invalid.
The Inspector also said, "We collected the sample of the rice. We will send the sample to the laboratory. Moreover, the truck is seized. The driver has been kept in our custody. After the interrogation, the driver will be handed over to the police. All the reports will be submitted to the Deputy Commissioner."
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