Tamil Nadu: Probe ordered into paddy transport scam

A day after TOI published a report on irregularities in paddy transportation scam, food minister R Sakkarapani has directed officials to take action based on complaints raised by truck owners’ associations.

Three firms which bagged tender to transport paddy for TN Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) sub-let the work to 19 other transporters, violating tender conditions. Responding to this, the govt on Saturday said the three main contractors entered into ‘partnerships’ with 19 firms, and this did not amount to sub-letting.

Sakkarapani said there was no disruption in paddy movement, adding that 10.75 lakh tonnes were moved to safe storage points despite rain and festivals.

In 2024-25, 1.18 crore tonnes of commodities, including paddy, were moved at 731.4 per tonne, compared to 1,622.24 per tonne in 2020-21 under the AIADMK. The DMK govt’s decentralised zonal tender system, the minister said, reduced costs by 890.84 per tonne, saving 1,084 crore in a year.

The govt statement said rates were divided into five distance slabs and said the TOI report referred only to the 0–8km category. It, however, did not explain why contractors paid truck owners only a fraction of the approved rates.

TOI cited a Cuddalore case where a truck owner received 6,080 for moving 32.7 tonnes of paddy to a godown within 8km — a distance covered under the 0–8km slab. Payment came to 186 per tonne, against approved rate of 598 for that slab. Truck owners say losses could be higher. “Even for long hauls, like Virudhachalam to Red Hills ( 240km), truckers get only 700 per tonne against approved 1,800. Govt should take action against contractors and TNCSC officials,” said S Yuvraj, TN Lorry Owners’ Association president.

This article has been republished from The Times of India.