Punjab govt sends back 46MT ‘poor quality’ pulses to Centre
THE CONSIGNMENT WAS RECEIVED FROM NAFED ABOUT A FORTNIGHT AGO FOR FREE DISTRIBUTION AMONG THE POOR IN THE STATE
CHANDIGARH: As the Union and state ministers spar over the distribution of foodgrains to poor families affected by the coronavirus lockdown, the Punjab government has sent back 46 metric tonnes (MTs) of pulses received from the central government under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).
The consignment of pulses was received from National Agriculture Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED), the nodal agency for supplying pulses under the scheme, about a fortnight ago for free distribution but has been sent back by the state food and civil supplies department as its quality was not found to be fit for consumption.
“There were more than 900 bags of dal (pulses) which were wet due to rainwater and emanating foul smell. The consignment was rejected and returned,” said an official of the state food and civil supplies department. Punjab has received 7,000MT of pulses so far, out of 11,800 MTs allocated by the Union ministry of food, consumer affairs and public distribution, for 1.41 crore beneficiaries in the state.
Director, food, civil supplies and consumer affairs, Anindita Mitra said the department returned 46 MTs of sabut urad dal (black gram whole) to NAFED about 10 days ago because of poor quality. “There were also pigeon droppings in some of these bags received for distribution in the state,” she said. The pulses are in addition to 2.12 lakh MTs of wheat allocated under PMGKAY to give five kilograms (kgs) of wheat per person per month and one kg of dal per family for three months (April to June) to 36 lakh beneficiary families, including 1.92 lakh ‘poor of the poorest’ households, identified under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
NAFED branch manager, Chandigarh, RK Pahwa said there was some complaint regarding the quality of one consignment of pulses, and it was replaced immediately. “There has been no complaint since, but we have been having coordination issues with Punjab officials as they keep changing the delivery spots. The remaining allocated quantity will also be delivered within a week,” he said.
The distribution of PMGKAY foodgrains, which was aimed at helping poor households deal with the economic impact of the coronavirus-induced lockdown, has become a bone of contention between the Centre and the state governments. Union ministers Ram Vilas Paswan and Harsimrat Kaur Badal accused the Punjab authorities of not distributing wheat and pulses allocated to them with the former even stating last week that only 1 per cent of foodgrains had been distributed. Punjab’s food minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu hit back by blaming the delay in the delivery of pulses. A state official said the food and civil supplies department had raised a demand for the supply of pulses on April 1 so that it could distribute both wheat and rice for three months in one go but received the first consignment of 42MTs on April 13 and then small quantities in subsequent consignments.
On April 30, the department, which had received 2,646MTs of pulses till then, also requested the central ministry to ask NAFED to expedite supply of pulses because it (state government) was unable to start its distribution in all the districts due to the nodal agency’s slow pace of delivery. As per the latest information, the state has delivered free ration to 20 per cent beneficiaries with Rupnagar district taking the lead with 56 per cent.