Latest news with #EssentialCommoditiesAct
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Drug peddler in Coimbatore gets 15-years of rigorous imprisonment
Coimbatore: The district special court for the trial of cases registered under the Essential Commodities Act on Monday sentenced a Kerala-based synthetic drug peddler to 15 years of rigorous imprisonment. A court source identified the convict as A Ajmal, 26, of Malappuram in Kerala . He was caught by the Masinagudi police in the Nilgiris a few days after he abandoned a car with 100 grams of methamphetamine and fled during a vehicle check at Kakkanallah check post on May 15, 2022. "When police nabbed him on May 21 that year, he was in possession of 15 grams of methamphetamine," the source said. Police registered a case and filed a chargesheet before the court. Special public prosecutor V Sivakumar represented the prosecution. Judge C Rajalingom delivered the verdict on Monday. He also imposed a fine of 1.5 lakh on Ajmal. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
The Hindu
08-08-2025
- The Hindu
Biggest haul of ration rice in T.N. for 2025 made in Madurai
In the biggest haul of ration rice in the State in 2025, Madurai unit of Civil Supplies -Crime Investigation Department seized around 55 tonnes of ration rice illegally hoarded in a godown here. The seizure made last week has blown the lid off an organised gang operating in different districts for collecting PDS rice and sell it as cattle/poultry feed. The sleuths also seized four cargo vehicles, including three trucks and a pickup van, and arrested six persons from Madurai, Kumbakonam and Kovilpatti. Based on a specific input received by its Superintendent of Police R. Srinivasa Perumal, a team of sleuths, including its Deputy Superintendent of Police and Inspector, rushed to the godown, functioning along a rice mill, and found several workers loading bags of rice in different cargo vehicles. 'Our officials alerted the Civil Supplies Flying Squad who inspected the site and confirmed that the goods belonged to public distribution system (PDS),' said Mr. Srinivasa Perumal. The officials found that a total of 3,600 kg of PDS rice and also 51,300 kg of broken PDS rice stocked in the godown and also loaded in the vehicles. The CS-CID officials arrested V. Meenakshi Sundaram, 35, of Madurai, who has been identified as the rice mill owner and vehicle owner and his partner C. Muthukannan, 26. Besides, a rice collector A. Ramamoorthi of Kovilpatti and three drivers were arrested and sent to remand. Investigation revealed that different districts have got different gangs that have been collecting PDS rice from the beneficiaries and stock them in different places before moving them in bulk quantity to the end user. 'We got the tip-off at the right time when the gang was trying to load them into vehicles for taking them to Dharapuram in Namakkal district,' the SP said. He suspected that the huge quantity of PDS rice could have been collected over a period of one month. 'In order to hoodwink the flying squads and CS-CID teams, the gang has turned the rice into broken rice,' Mr. Srinivasa Perumal said. He said that the CS-CID Inspector General of Police Rupesh Kumar Meena had instructed to prevent smuggling of ration rice in order to ensure that the free rice distributed through ration shops reached the targeted beneficiaries. 'The Government spends huge subsidy towards free distribution of ration rice with the intention that the poorest of the poor should get free rice so that there is no hunger,' the SP said. However, the middlemen entice the poor people with paltry sum of money and deprive them of rice, thereby forcing the beneficiaries to pay more for buying rice from open market for the family. The gang has a network of poultry units that buy the ration rice for as high as ₹23 per kg to feed the birds. The accused were booked under Tamil Nadu Scheduled Commodities (Regulation of Distribution by Card System) Order, 1982, and under Essential Commodities Act, 1955. The SP said that hunt for few more accused was under way. He warned that such accused could get a maximum punishment of 7 years of jail and repeat offenders could be detained under the Goondas Act. CS-CID could be alerted about smuggling of ration goods over toll-free number of 18005995950.
Time of India
05-08-2025
- Time of India
Illegal stockpile of Anna Bhagya scheme rice seized
Udupi: Acting on a tip-off, officials seized over eight quintals of rice meant for free distribution under the Anna Bhagya scheme from a godown near a house in Masti Katte, Molahalli village, Kundapur taluk. Complainant HS Suresh from Koni village received information that rice meant for free distribution under the Anna Bhagya scheme was being illegally stored in a godown near the house of a person named Uday in Masti Katte, Molahalli village, on Monday. Following this tip-off, the complainant went to Kota police station and, along with police officers and staff, conducted a raid at 8pm at the said location. Upon inspection, they found bags of rice stored in white polythene sacks inside the godown. It was confirmed that the rice was part of the govt-supplied free ration under the Anna Bhagya scheme and was illegally stockpiled. As a result, a total of 8.4 quintals of rice, along with one weighing scale, was seized. A case was registered at Kota police station invoking Sections 3 and 7 of the Essential Commodities Act, and Sections 3(2) and 18(1) of the Karnataka Public Distribution System (Control) Order.
News18
04-08-2025
- Business
- News18
Fertiliser body IMMA seeks centralised licensing for micronutrient products
New Delhi, Aug 4 (PTI) Indian Micro Fertilisers Manufacturers Association (IMMA) on Monday called for centralised licensing and national guidelines to accelerate nationwide marketing of micronutrient fertilisers. While the overall regulatory framework falls under the Fertilizer Control Order (FCO) of the Essential Commodities Act at the central level, manufacturers must obtain licences and certificates from agricultural or fertiliser control authorities in each state where they plan to sell or produce. The multi-state approval requirement is cumbersome and time-consuming as each state has its own licensing process and timelines, according to IMMA President Rahul Mirchandani. 'There is a need to unify and simplify this approval procedure to reduce delays and administrative burden, allowing for faster nationwide marketing of micronutrient fertilisers," Mirchandani told PTI. Micronutrient fertilisers address deficits of key nutrients such as zinc, boron and iron in agricultural crops. 'Obsolete state notified grades hinder innovation in the micronutrient fertiliser sector. It is time to shift from static formulations to dynamic frameworks," Mirchandani said. 'A centralised licensing and analytical validation is the need of the hour." IMMA proposes a single digital licensing portal where companies can upload formulations and label claims, submit analytical methods for each product and receive time-bound approvals. The system would ensure companies are responsible for label claims and performance, traceability of ingredients and batch data, while giving farmers access to relevant and updated solutions. State-notified grades for micronutrients have become outdated, with the most recent notifications in many cases dating back over a decade and in some states over two to three decades, Mirchandani said. IMMA suggested broad national guidelines similar to water-soluble fertiliser regulations that specify minimum and maximum permissible limits for each nutrient across micronutrient blends. Within these limits, manufacturers should be allowed to design formulations aligned to regional soil health reports, weather trends, cropping systems and emerging nutrient deficiencies. IMMA also said there is no need to regulate micronutrient fertilisers under the Essential Commodities Act as there is no food shortage and these products are not government-subsidised. The association called for sector reforms with faster approval of innovative micronutrient grades developed to address climate change challenges. PTI LUX HVA view comments First Published: August 04, 2025, 15:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Hindu
04-08-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Govt notifies new vegetable oil regulation order to enhance transparency, oversight
The government has notified a new framework for the edible oil industry, imposing stricter registration and reporting requirements on producers to enhance transparency and oversight, according to an official release. The 2025 Vegetable Oil Products, Production and Availability (VOPPA) Regulation Order, notified on August 1 by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, amends the Vegetable Oil Products Production and Availability (Regulation) Order, 2011, under Section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. Under the new framework, producers will face stricter registration and reporting requirements. They must apply for registration certificates through the Directorate of Sugar and Vegetable Oils in New Delhi, providing details such as factory location and production capacity as outlined in Schedule-I. The amended order mandates monthly reports by the 15th of each month, detailing oil usage, production, sales and stocks to ensure better supply chain tracking and maintain availability of cooking oils at fair prices. The amendment also strengthens enforcement mechanisms. The Director is empowered to inspect factories, demand information and seize stocks if false reporting is suspected. Non-compliance with orders is explicitly prohibited, with producers required to follow all directives. These measures aim to prevent hoarding or misrepresentation and protect consumers from supply disruptions. The amendment introduces clearer definitions for key terms including "Producer," "Vegetable Oil," and "Director (Directorate of Sugar and Vegetable Oils)," aligning them with the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, and the Collection of Statistics Act, 2008. It removes outdated references like "de-oiled meal or edible flour" and scraps Schedule-III and Paragraph 13 to simplify regulations. The term "Clause" has been replaced with "paragraph" throughout, while "Chief Director" has been updated to "Director" for consistency. Welcoming the move, the Indian Vegetable Producers' Association (IVPA) said a key concern flagged by the government is the lack of consistent and comprehensive data across the industry, which limits effective policymaking. "The organised sector, which maintains robust compliance standards, is well-equipped to provide data under the amended framework. However, the challenge lies in the highly fragmented unorganised sector, which comprises thousands of small mills and processing units, making data collection more complex," IVPA said in a statement. The association believes data quality and completeness will improve over time, supporting the shared objectives of policymakers, farmers, consumers and the industry. The 2025 Amendment Order represents a step toward greater transparency and accountability in the vegetable oil industry through streamlined regulations and enhanced oversight to stabilise supply of this essential commodity.
