India

Udhayanidhi Stalin Accuses Tamil Nadu Government of Polishing and Reselling PDS Rice

By Swati Gandhi

Udhayanidhi Stalin, Leader of the Opposition in Tamil Nadu, has accused the Chief Minister Joseph Vijay‑led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government of polishing rice intended for free distribution under the Public Distribution System (PDS) and selling it as Grade‑A fine‑variety rice at ₹30 per kilogram. Stalin’s remarks followed complaints from consumers across the state. He said the government announced that fine‑quality Ponni rice could be bought for ₹30 at cooperative outlets to counter rising rice prices, but people complained that the free ration rice was merely being polished and sold under this label. Stalin added that in the Cumbum region a TVK MLA fled when confronted about the polished rice.

The Tamil Nadu LoP said the distribution was limited to around 250 locations for the state’s 22.8 million family cardholders, with each family allowed to buy only five kilograms, even as complaints continued. Stalin demanded a full explanation from the ruling government, asking when the government floated tenders to procure fine Ponni rice, which companies won the bids, at what cost they supplied it, and how much subsidy the TVK government is actually passing on to the public. He also recalled that former CM M. Karunanidhi introduced a special PDS scheme through open tenders in 2007, providing palm oil, dal and pulses at subsidised rates.

Separately, AIADMK senior leader RB Udhayakumar criticised Chief Minister Vijay for prioritising office refurbishment over governance. In a video statement, Udhayakumar questioned the new government’s priorities, alleging a lack of transparency in the ₹30‑per‑kg fine‑grain rice scheme. He claimed the government was illegally taking the 20 kg of free rice introduced by former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, polishing and repackaging it as fine‑grain rice before selling it for ₹30 per kilogram. Udhayakumar said people who bought this rice are protesting in districts such as Ariyalur, Salem and Namakkal, demanding refunds because the rice emits a foul smell and is not fit for poultry feed. He also noted that rice prices in the open market had risen from ₹30 to ₹60 per kilogram in the past three months.

The TVK government has not issued a statement addressing the controversy at the time of publication.