Will FCI certify quality of grains: Officials
Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Mar 15: The Civil Society of Baramulla today demanded that the “sub-standard” rice lying at the Food Corporation of India’s (FCI) go-down at Chenad Sangrama in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district should be destroyed in public and that the administration should make sure that such grains are not distributed to the public.
Chairman of ‘Varmul Civil Society’, Tariq Ahmad Magloo while talking to Excelsior said that they are apprehensive that the sub-standard rice might be mixed with the fresh supply coming in at the FCI’s Chenad Sangrama go-down and the same might be supplied to the public.
“The Food Department is not accepting the sub-standard rice and in this regard, the administration must make sure that the low on quality rice which is there is destroyed in public without any further delay,” he said.
He also warned of an agitation if the administration failed in taking any action in this regard. “If that rice is mixed with the fresh supply and distributed to the public, we will be forced to start an agitation; what do they want? Do they want to kill us; we are not going to accept it at any cost,” he said.
Earlier, a news report was carried by this newspaper, identifying the quality issues in about 25000 quintals of rice which is being stored at FCI’s Chenad Sangrama go-down.
Official sources told Excelsior that in a joint survey report of FCI and FCS&CA officials which was done in November 2020, while only physical and visual analysis was done, the FCI stated that it is was the Fair Average Quality (FAQ) as per FCI standards.
However, the officials said that the question remains as to who is going to certify the expiry of the spillover rice lying on the floor of FCI go-down at Sangrama. “Will the FCI certify that this rice is chemically fit for consumption,” they said.
Notably, the FCI has got Quality Control Managers, the officials said: “Will they certify that the rice which they are giving to FCS& CA is fit for consumption.”
Also, as per the report filed after the inspection in November, FCS& CA has a right to reject the rice if not up to the standards. “Will FCI receive back all the rice which has been rejected by consumers and is presently lying at the stores of FCS& CA,” the officials said.
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