Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Mar 30: A 3-member team from Indian Grain Storage Management & Research Institute (IGMRI) which is currently on a visit to the Valley to inspect the storage capacity and the infrastructure available for grains have spotted quality issues in the grains in-store at FCI’s Kralhar and Sangrama go-downs.
An official privy to the inspection told Excelsior that during its visit, the team stated that the rice stored at FCI Kralhar is sub-standard and is not consumable.
He said that the team visited the FCI’s godown at Kralhar as well as Sangrama and took samples from both the spots. The team also spotted that the grains are not fresh and are rather a crop of the year 2016-17.
One of the members of the team when asked to confirm the observations made told Excelsior that they will submit its report to the ministry and declined to comment on the issue.
Earlier, Excelsior had carried reports regarding the sub-standard rice at the FCI godowns in district Baramulla, in response to which the FCI had stated that if the stock were found not fit for consumption, the same will be liquidated.
However, the observation of the expert team from the IGMRI once again has reinforced that the stock in-store at the godowns in district Baramulla is not up to the mark.
Also, while the FCI is contemplating de-hiring of its private godown at Sangrama, it is shifting the stock to Kralhar godown which has in store around 12000 quintals of rice as of now.
Interestingly, the depot in charge of the FCI’s Kralhar godown has also written to the concerned and has stated that that the stock that is shifted from Sangrama to Kralhar is old and contains dust.
“You are informed that the stock that is shifted from PEG Baramulla [Sangrama] to FSD Baramulla [Kralhar] is of old and filled bags of mixed crop year i.e.,2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2019-20 with most of the bags…badly ruptured having white thread stitching or with partial stitching without authorized print and slip on the bags violating FCI guidelines…The said stock is dull in appearance and contains dust. So please take this as a serious matter of concern…,” reads the letter.
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