FCI Detects Spoiled Rice in CMR
The civil supplies department also failed to take action against the miller
KAKINADA: Food Corporation of India has detected certain irregularities in the supply of custom-milled rice, but no action was taken against the errant miller, it is learnt.
Officials said a miller in Undrajavaram in West Godavari district supplied Public Distribution System (PDS) rice, kernel-mixed rice and spoiled rice to the FCI at its Pennada unit. The civil supplies department also failed to take action against the miller.
Notably, a previous PDS scam involved export of recycled rice to other countries from Kakinada port. This was exposed some time ago by the alliance government.
Officials explained that after distribution of PDS rice to the beneficiaries, some dealers had purchased the same rice from the beneficiaries and sold it to the rice millers.
The Central government, with the aim of providing nutritious rice to people through the public distribution system, had asked FCI to mix kernels in the PDS rice. The mix is called fortified rice. However, FCI did not supply kernels in recent weeks.
The rice miller in Undrajavaram village sent four consignments of rice, weighing 29 tonnes in 580 bags each to FCI’s Pennada unit on December 15/16.
FCI officials detected PDS rice in one consignment, kernel in another consignment and spoiled rice in yet another. Normal rice was found in the fourth consignment. FCI rejected the four consignments and wrote to the East Godavari collector, saying the miller has not acted with due diligence in delivering FAQ (fair and average quality) stocks.
The repeated instances of detection of fortified rice kernels in 10 per cent broken non-fortified rice as also repeated failure of the consignments in the MIM (missed indicator method) quality test and life infestation in the consignment indicated serious lapses on part of the miller. In view of this, FCI called for a thorough investigation and appropriate action.
However, though the rice was rejected from FCI, the Rythu Seva Kendram officials of ASR district sent paddy stock to the tainted rice mill.
Officials said that they received the letter on Dec 18 via email. However, the authorities did not inspect the rice mill till Dec 28.
A question is raised against the FCI that when its officials detected the spoiled rice and PDS rice in the consignment, why had they not immediately informed the civil supplies department and handover such consignments to the officials.
Civil supplies corporation’s east Godavari district manager Ganesh Kumar said, “We received the letter on Dec 18 and issued a show-cause notice on Dec 20, seeking an answer within seven days. I inspected the rice mill on Dec 28 and shifted the paddy stocks from the rice mill to another mill.”
Kumar said 7,305 tonnes of paddy was sent to the rice mill from East Godavari, ASR and Krishna districts. The rice miller gave 868 tonnes of rice to the FCI. The remaining paddy stock was lifted from the rice mill.
He said an inquiry would be ordered by the joint collector. Civil suppiles Corporation would not send paddy to the rice mill till the inquiry completes.