Orders for investigation against poor quality of Food Corporation's rice
28-Oct-2024 10:56 AM
Sangrur. Farmers are still angry due to slow procurement of paddy in Punjab, the state which contributes the most food grains to the central pool, while in the meantime a new case has come to light which has created a stir among the Food Corporation of India (FCI) as well as the sheller owners.
It is understood that there was a complaint of poor quality of rice sent by the Food Corporation to various parts of the country from the warehouses of Sangrur district. When it was investigated, 15 out of 19 samples did not meet the quality standards.
In view of this, the Union Ministry of Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution has sent a letter to the Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of Food Corporation of India and asked him to investigate the entire matter thoroughly and send his report within 15 days.
Experts say that there may be collusion between the sheller owners and the local officers and employees of the Food Corporation in this entire matter and the truth will come out only after investigation.
But it is so important that these people have lost their sleep and there is a fear of action being taken against them.
On the other hand, the President of the Food Corporation Staff Union says that this order of the government is unfair to the sheller owners and the employees of the Food Corporation.
According to the information received, the rice which was stored in the year 2022-23 was sold in different parts of the country through specials installed in 2024.
In one province, the quality of rice has been described as poor and it has been said that it is not fit for human consumption.
According to the President, the quality of fortified rice containing a mixture of minerals and vitamins is naturally affected when kept in warehouses for a long time.
It is the responsibility of the Food Corporation and the Food Ministry to deliver it to the destination for consumption at the right time and it is wrong to blame the sheller owners and the staff of the corporation for this.