Post News Network
Malkangiri, August 5: Even as protests against insufficient supply of rice under the public distribution system (PDS) swelled in several parts of the state, 13,125 quintals of rice kept in a Food Corporation of India (FCI) godown here worth Rs 3.4 crore were damaged. Negligence on the part of the departmental authorities was blamed for the loss.
Efforts were on to take action against the officials responsible for the damage of such a huge quantity of rice, sources said. The rice packed in 26,250 sacks was stocked in the FCI godown since 2011-12 fiscal. The rice was meant to be supplied to hostels of government residential schools and gram panchayats under the public distribution system (PDS). However, due to improper management of food stocks, the rice got damaged.
The matter came to the fore after Abhimanyu Mohanty joined as the new supplies officer in the district. He submitted a report to the district collector in this regard. Meanwhile, the district administration wrote to the managing director of the Orissa state civil supplies corporation and commissioner cum secretary of the food supplies and consumer welfare department to conduct a probe.
District civil supplies officer and FCI superintendent should ensure smooth and proper distribution of rice stocked in a godown. However, the authorities instead of disposing of the old stocks, gave away the stocks that arrived later.
When contacted, Mohanty said he came to know of the damage after he joined duty. Later, he apprised the district administration.
It may be mentioned here that PDS beneficiaries from various gram panchayats of the district have been expressing resentment for last two years over distribution of poor quality rice. People in Kalimela block had often protested supply of poor quality rice. The rice delivered at rice receiving centre (RRC) at Kalimela was returned twice due to bad quality of the stock. Later, a portion of the stock was recycled before it was distributed among beneficiaries.
