Chennai, Aug 20 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Revenue and Disaster Management Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan triggered an uproar in the state Assembly on Thursday after claiming that a substantial quantity of rice supplied through the Public Distribution System was being used to feed cattle and poultry.
The remark came during the debate on the demands for grants for the Co-operation, Food and Consumer Protection departments.
Opposition DMK members strongly objected, accusing the Minister of insulting economically weaker families who depend on fair-price shops for their monthly food requirements.
The exchange began when Oddanchatram MLA and former Food Minister R. Sakkarapani spoke about the functioning of Direct Purchase Centres and measures introduced during the previous government. He said complaint boxes had been installed at all centres to enable farmers and members of the public to report irregularities.
As the discussion shifted to the quality and consumption of ration rice, Sengottaiyan said much of the rice purchased from fair-price shops was ultimately being given to goats, cattle, and chickens.
His observation immediately drew protests from the DMK benches. Senior DMK legislators, including former ministers K.N. Nehru, M.R.K. Panneerselvam and E.V. Velu, demanded that the minister withdraw the remark.
They said the statement demeaned lakhs of low-income households and created the misleading impression that beneficiaries did not consume the rice supplied under the welfare programme.
DMK members argued that ration rice continued to be widely consumed and remained essential to household food security. They also said coarse varieties were preferred by some consumers across income groups because of dietary considerations, including efforts to control blood sugar levels.
Amid repeated interruptions, Sengottaiyan clarified that he had not intended to belittle ration-card holders or question the importance of the PDS. He said his remarks were aimed at highlighting concerns over the quality and acceptability of the rice supplied through the system.
The minister maintained that there was growing public demand for better-quality, fine-variety rice, commonly referred to as “sanna ragam”, to be distributed through fair-price shops. Improving the quality of supplies, he said, would ensure that subsidised rice was fully used by beneficiary families.
Despite the clarification, opposition members continued to insist that ministers should exercise greater care while speaking about welfare beneficiaries. The controversy dominated the debate for several minutes before the House returned to the departmental demands for grants.
–IANS
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