Madhya Pradesh: Poor Quality Rice Worth ₹10 Crore Supplied In Balaghat; Administration Failed To Act Against Millers

The rice millers of the district supplied poor quality of rice worth Rs 10 crore to the Food Civil Supplies Corporation during 2019-20. The issue came to light during an inspection by assistant commissioner of Food and Civil Supplies Department government of India Vishwajeet Haldar. He wrote a letter in connection with the supply of poor quality rice to the principal secretary of the food and civil supplies department, government of Madhya Pradesh, on August 21, 2020.

In the letter, Haldar wrote that he had collected 32 samples of rice, and it came to light that the recycled rice is not suitable for human consumption. He directed the PS to black list the millers who should deposit the rice at CMR.

Four years have passed since poor quality rice was supplied, but the rice millers responsible for supplying poor quality stuff to Balaghat and Mandla were not blacklisted. Deputy Superintendent of Police, Rajwardhan Maheshwari (Economic Offences wing) of Jabalpur, probed the case and registered an FIR. Nevertheless, the administration did not act against the millers. The issue has been swept under the carpet.

Rice worth Rs 3.68 cr found unsuitable

Satna: Nearly 52, 000 bags of rice were sent to Shivpuri and Sheopur on June 28 for distribution through PDS shops. But 24,500 bags of rice worth Rs 3.60 crore were not fit for human consumption. The administration is getting ready for action against rice millers. When the issue was raised before district manager Pankaj Borse he said he had no information about it.  Nearly 250 bags of rice were buried because of poor quality.

This article has been republished from The Free Press Journal.