Keralam ration shop owners seek GPS on supply trucks to stop foodgrain theft

Ration dealers in Keralam are asking the government to put GPS trackers on all trucks that carry foodgrains from storage units to local shops. The request aims to stop food supplies from being illegally diverted into the open market.

Supply Chain Checks

This demand follows the State Government's recent choice to set up CCTV cameras inside ration outlets and connect electronic billing machines with weighing scales. Dealers support these steps but argue that tracking must cover the entire transport chain. They want live tracking of transport trucks, security cameras at storage godowns, and linked weighing systems to make sure the amount sent matches the amount delivered.

Financial Strains

State General Secretary T. Mohammed Ali of the All-Kerala Retail Ration Dealers Association stated that billing machines should connect directly with warehouse scales to remove weight gaps. The association also reported that rising costs and falling earnings have forced nearly eight shops to close in Kozhikode city over three years, alongside over 500 closures across the State. Dealers rejected the official claim that shops make around thirty thousand rupees a month, noting that this sum fails to cover basic rent and power bills.

Context

Public distribution networks in India rely on a large supply chain to deliver subsidized food grains to families who need them. Keeping this system honest requires checks not just at the final shop counter, but at every single step of transit from government warehouses.