400 quintals of PDS rice seized from private warehouse in Madhya Pradesh

Indore: The Indore administration on Tuesday seized about 400 quintals of rice meant for Public Distribution System (PDS) shops from a private warehouse before it was sold in the black market, an official said.

The rice was stored illegally in the warehouse on Indore-Ujjain Road, and about to be loaded in trucks for sending it to Gujarat, said District Food and Supply Controller M L Maru.

The warehouse was sealed, he said.

The rice was intended to be distributed free to PDS beneficiaries, the official said.

"We have learnt that some auto rickshaw drivers in the city go from street to street and buy PDS rice from beneficiaries at Rs 12 to Rs 16 per kg, and sell it to middlemen. The middlemen sell it to traders for Rs 22 to 23 per kg. Finally, it retails for up to Rs 27 per kg," he said.

One Satish Agarwal and five others were suspected to be involved in this racket, Maru said, adding that First Information Reports were registered against Agrawal thrice earlier under the Prevention of Black Marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980.

Further probe was on, he said.