Lanka Dinakar, Chairman of Twenty Point Programme Implementation
| Photo Credit: File Photo
Lanka Dinakar, Chairperson of the Twenty Point Programme Implementation, has called for strict action against those involved in the alleged scam involving the rice meant for distribution among the Public Distribution System (PDS) beneficiaries.
Addressing the media at the Secretariat in Amaravati on December 9 (Monday), Mr. Dinakar observed that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the Andhra Pradesh government had been tasked with identifying the culprits behind the alleged misappropriation of rice meant for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.
Highlighting that the Central government had doubled the rice distribution during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Dinakar alleged that a significant portion of this rice was illegally exported through the Kakinada Port. “It was an organised plunder of resources meant for the poor,” he alleged.
The BJP leader commended Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan’s intervention in halting a ship suspected of carrying the illegally recycled rice.
He alleged that approximately ₹80,000 crore including ₹50,000 crore allocated by the Central government and ₹30,000 crore by the State government for free rice distribution between 2019 and 2024 was misused.
Mr. Dinakar suggested reforms, including de-linking ration cards from other schemes to prevent misuse and issuing scheme-specific identity cards. “The focus should be on ensuring that every grain reaches the deserving poor,” he emphasised.
Published – December 09, 2024 07:15 pm IST
