Lanka Dinakar, chairman of the Twenty Principles Programme Implementation Committee, said that the “SIT” appointed by the state government is playing a game with the gang of rice looters of the poor. He alleged that during the Corona period, if the central government gave double the amount of rice to satisfy the hunger of the poor, then double the amount of rice went abroad from Kakinada port.
He said that the “SIT” on the rice looters of the poor has brought the hiding corrupt people to a stand, attention and run situation. He said that it is sad that the funds spent by the central and state governments on an average of Rs. 16,000 crores per year just for free rice for the poor are being misused.
He said that currently, about Rs. 10,000 crores are being spent by the Centre and Rs. 6,000 crores by the State for free rice. “In the last five years, a total of Rs. 80,000 crores have been spent by the Central Government and Rs. 30,000 crores by the State Government. Between 2019-24, the lion’s share of the Rs. 80,000 crores of free rice that was supposed to be provided to the poor has become a source of income for the corrupt, he added.
Dinakar deplored that they tried to fill their pockets by exploiting the rice that should satisfy the hunger of the poor. He stressed that there is a need to suggest reforms in the distribution of rice so that the hunger of the deserving poor is satisfied.
For the last three years, he said they have been moving forward with the people with consistent and factual information. On 10 October 2024, asked the Civil Supply Corporation officials for information for the government’s free rice review. The Right to Information Act on rice theft began in July 2022.
With the complete information received on 11 November 2022, Dinakar said that they gave details on rice theft through local and national media for the first time.
Dinakar said that according to the figures given by the authorities so far the expenditure incurred by the state government between 2019 – 24 is approximately Rs. 30,000 crores: 59,08,146 ration cards for 1,63,51,364 beneficiaries. The expenditure incurred by the central government between 2019 – 24 is Rs. 49,200 crores: 89,35,525 cards for 2,68,30,006 beneficiaries.
Total ration cards: 1,48,43,671 but the number of beneficiaries is 4,31,81,370 – Total expenditure Rs. 79,200 crores. Additional debts incurred by the Civil Supplies Corporation between 2019 – 24: 20,931 crores. The central government is paying interest and principal installments on civil supplies loans through subsidies, revenue from FCI, and diversion of state budget revenue.
