Coimbatore: 3 PDS staff suspended for pilferage of relief material

COIMBATORE: Collector K Rajamani on Wednesday suspended three employees of Public Distribution System following irregularities in distributing relief packages meant for the public.
Those suspended were identified as E Rajasekar, a salesman from Pari Nagar, S Rajan from Velandipalayam and K Lathabai from Kovaipudur.
A press release from the district administration said that the employees were temporarily suspended and disciplinary actions were initiated against them after they were found to have pilfered relief materials.The action was initiated after receiving several complaints from beneficiaries.
The district administration has been distributing essential commodities – rice, sugar, pulses and oil – to all ration card holders and a sum of Rs 1,000 to 9.76 lakh beneficiaries in the district since April 2.
“In general, about 90% of the essential commodities required for a district would be allotted based on the previous history as some people might not receive the products. But this month is a crisis period, and the district has received 100% of its requirement. In spite of communicating the same to PDS salespersons, those suspended had reduced the quantity of essential commodities meant to be distributed to beneficiaries,” Rajamani said.
As many as 12 officials have been deployed as nodal officers to monitor the ongoing distribution system in the district.
Meanwhile, over 60 residents from Paduvampalli panchayat in Sulur block staged a protest in front of a PDS ration shop on Wednesday after they received rice of sub-standard quality. Following the intervention of the collector, the matter was resolved.