TAMLUK: Flood victims caught two ration dealers red-handed while they were illegally transporting food grains for selling in the open-market today. The ration dealers were allegedly enjoying CPI-M patronage. This comes at a time when thousands of people are suffering from improper distribution of relief materials due to the devastating floods continuing in the vast areas of Midnapore East district. The incident occurred at Panshkura municipal areas this morning. Local residents, headed by the Trinamul Congress councilors, have sealed the godowns of the ration dealers named Gour Bar and Madan Sahoo and kept them locked in a room. Tension brewed up at Barengabazar, Pratappur, Narandighi, Pahargram and Churangar civic areas of Panshkura municipality when a section of CPI-M leaders assembled and tried to rescue the ration dealers. According to the Trinamul Congress youth leader Mr Anisur, the government has recently doubled the allotment of food grains for APL card holders but these accused ration dealers were not distributing the increased quantity of ration items to the people for the last few weeks. n SNS