Over 40000 people smuggling essential commodities held in 7yrs

Over 40,000 people allegedly involved in smuggling essential commodities have been arrested in the past seven years as part of anti-smuggling efforts, the Tamil Nadu government said today.

A total of 40,386 people have been arrested, with 1,062 of them being taken under preventive detention, Food and Civil Supplies Minister R Kamaraj said.

Replying to the debate on grants for his department in the state assembly, he underlined the government's commitment towards prevention of smuggling of essential commodities.

During this period, a total of 59,408 cases were also filed in this regard, he added.

Kamaraj said though Tamil Nadu had been implementing the Centre's Food Safety Act since November 2016, the state government's flagship scheme of providing rice free of cost was also being continued.

Tamil Nadu was the "only state" to implement both the schemes, he added.

The Minister later made a number of announcements, including constructing buildings for paddy procurement centres in Cauvery delta districts.

Meanwhile, in a separate announcement, Labour Minister Nilofer Kafeel said the government would now provide Rs five lakh to the next of kin of construction workers who meet with an accident at their worksite, but die later at a hospital.

Presently, this scheme was available only for "death at worksite," she said, referring to on the spot casualties.

According to the new move, the family of the victim would get the compensation even if the person happens to die in a hospital without responding to treatment, she added.

Meanwhile, S Valarmathi, Minister for Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare, informed the Assembly that the government would set up aid societies to help poor, destitute and elderly Christian women.

Such socities would come up in all 32 districts of the state under the respective Collectors, she said.

The move was along the lines with existing societies set up to help poor and destitute Muslim women, she added.