The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has revealed that the monthly distribution of foodgrain to cardholders in the state under the public distribution system (PDS) was less than the scale prescribed by Government of India (GOI).
In its report for the year ended March 2011, CAG said as per GOI guidelines, food grains should be distributed at the rate of 35 kg per month to each of the below poverty line (BPL) and above poverty line (APL) beneficiaries.
However, it said the state government provided 35 kg of foodgrain (rice) per month only to the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) beneficiaries, while all other family cardholders were provided only 12 to 20 kg of rice per month depending upon the number of person (units) included in the family card (four kg per adult and two kg per child per month).
Apart from rice, the state government also provided 10 kg of wheat per month to all cardholders in Chennai and district headquarters and five kg in other areas.
In its reply in November 2011, the government said that besides rice/ wheat, toor dhal, urid dhal and palmolein totalling about 35 kg had also been supplied through PDS in the state.
The CAG, however, said that the reply is not acceptable since the state government supplied rice at two different scales which indicated absence of appropriate assessment of requirement of foodgrain per family.