Probe report blames delayed lifting by FCI
REPORT GIVES CLEAN CHIT TO OFFICIALS DEPUTED TO MONITOR STOCK; FOOD AND CIVIL SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT SAYS ACCOUNTABILITY NEEDS TO BE FIXED
KARNAL: Delay in lifting of wheat by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and heavy rains are responsible for rotting of around 3,200 metric tonnes of wheat meant for public distribution and lying in open plinths for the last three years at a grain market in Pundri in Kaithal district, an investigation report by the subdivisional magistrate has said, giving a clean chit to officials deputed to monitor the stock.
“The remittance of the stored wheat should have been done within six months but it was not lifted for three years and it was stored in open plinths which are the key reason behind this rotting of the wheat stock,” reads the investigation report submitted by sub-divisional magistrate Sanjay Kumar to the Kaithal deputy commissioner.
“Thus, the FCI is responsible for rotten wheat, not the local officials,” the report said.
It also mentioned the guidelines of the government for the lifting of the procured wheat meant for the public distribution system.
However, commissioner and secretary, food, civil supplies and consumer affairs department, Haryana, Pankaj Agarwal said, “even if the investigation officer has submitted the report and held no one guilty for this damaged wheat, the department will further look into the matter and a committee of experts will examine it.” “We cannot blame the delay in lifting and rains for the damage. The accountability should be fixed and we will examine it,” he added.
Nearly 3,200 metric tonnes of wheat meant for public distribution and lying in open plinths for the last three years at a grain market of of Haryana Food and Supplies Department in Pundri decayed due to official apathy and negligence. Officials had earlier said that the estimated cost of the decayed wheat was around ₹ 6.50 crore. The stock was procured during the in 2019-20 rabi marketing season.
The rotten wheat would have been given as one month’s ration to around 6.40 lakh people under the Haryana food, civil supplies and consumer affairs department’s public distribution system that distributes 5kgs per person per month.
As per the findings of the report, a total of 550,985 bags of procured wheat were stored at the grain market, including 475,103 in open since 2019-20. In the past three years, 479,200 bags were lifted in total by the FCI. Out of the stock which was not lifted, a portion of the wheat stock stored in open got damaged. It said that the wheat also got damaged due to higher moisture content at the base racks which spread to the upper layers. It also mentioned the statement of inspector of food and supplies department Bijender Kumar, saying that he was appointed at the Pundri centre when the wheat was stored. He said that the wheat stored in this godown was declared as lusterless and could not be stored in open for long. The report also mentioned that the state had witnessed heavy rains during this period which damaged the outer layers of the stock.
The report also mentioned that after the stock was declared as non-issuable by the FCI, it later was sold in open auction and was being lifted by private buyers.