Hyderabad: Civil supplies commissioner C.V. Anand has directed his officials to book criminal cases against nine wholesale kerosene dealers for failing to clear PDS (public distribution system) kerosene arrears to government since 2013. These dealers from Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts together owe over Rs 10 crore to the government. The government pays for the transport of kerosene from the stock points to the ration shops, but the dealers have to refund the amount later.
However, dealers have stopped refunding these charges to government since 2013. Though the arrears have been mounting for the past five years, no effort was made to recover the dues. The issue of arrears came to light after IPS officer C.V. Anand took charge as commissioner of civil supplies in August 2016. Some 43 dealers in Hyderabad owe Rs 7.35 crore, and another 23 from RR district owe Rs 2.77 crore.
Mr Anand was angry at the negligence of the civil supplies department in recovering the dues. At a meeting with dealers on Saturday he warned them that stringent action will be taken against them if they failed to pay the arrears immediately. He directed that criminal cases be booked against Afsan, Limra Agency, Hyderabad Service Station, Vishal Enterprises, Bhadraiah Sons, Sri Anantula Traders, Rajaiah & Sons, Lakshmaiah & Sons, Beena Traders, and Tarnaka Agencies for giving false details about the money they owe and trying to attack officials when they came to collect the money.
The dealers requested the commissioner to allow them to clear the arrears in instalments. Mr Anand has agreed to this. Those with arrears of Rs 10 lakh can pay in two instalments of Rs 5 lakh each till February 2018. Those with arrears of Rs 20 lakh have eight months in which to pay up and those with arrears of more than Rs 20 lakh have 12 months to clear their dues.
