FAIR OR NOT: Civil Supplies Dept issues ‘show cause notice’ to fair price shop

MARGAO: O Heraldo’s persistent reportage on the maggot-filled rice fiasco finally made its impact on the authorities with the Civil Supplies Department on Friday, but not in the way it was expected.

Far from conducting an inquiry into its own department’s functioning, it has issued a show cause notice to a fair price shop owner from Davorlim ‘for taking the public for granted by distributing infested rice, despite being instructed not to do so’.

However, the owner of the said fair price shop had earlier claimed that he found infested rice in the stock, which was supplied to his shop by the department. 

According to a Civil Supplies official, a flying squad from head office along with an officer concerned of Salcete taluka on Thursday had gone to visit the fair price shop No. 90 and found the stock infested by maggots. 

The above fair price shop has been shut down temporarily and the owner has been asked not to start distribution of the rice till he receives fresh stock, said an official. The department’s flying squad had found the rice at two fair price shops infested by maggots.

The squad found maggots in the rice after the O Heraldo exposed the supply and distribution of the rice to the ration cardholders in Salcete. 

The officer concerned informed that a lengthy meeting was held with all the fair price shop owners of Salcete, with regards to the maggot-infested rice fiasco. 

Fair price shop owners were instructed and requested to take precautionary measures before distributing the rice to the beneficiaries. 

They were even instructed to inform and exchange the infested rice immediately and clean the same before distribution. 

“After inquiry we found the entire stock in the fair price shop No. 90 infested with maggots. We were also shocked as to why the owner failed to exchange the stock and continued with the distribution,” said an officer. 

For price shop owners have said persistent called to the department to replace the bad rice fell on deaf ears.

On the other hand, after the issue was highlighted the maggot-infested rice bags from fair price shop No 90 have been replaced, the official said. 

However, the citizens and Davorlim-Dicarpale Panchayat have expressed concern over the issue as the maximum cases of the infested rice have been reported in the village. 

Dept maintaining a vigil on fair price shops to avoid further embarrassment 

MARGAO: After finding evidence pertaining to the maggot-infested rice, the Civil Supplies Department is now closely monitoring and keeping eye on the fair price shops to avoid further embarrassment. 

According to sources, the department officials have asked the fair price shop owners to immediately report if they found maggot-infested rice. 

After O Heraldo reported on the maggot-infested rice also at fair price shop number 93 in Davorlim, a flying squad of Civil Supplies Department rushed at the shop and checked the stock, wherein they found few bags with infested rice.

It is pertinent to note that a day before, after receiving complaints from the people, and showing concern, Davorlim-Dicarpale Village Panchayat visited the fair price shop No. 93, which they found closed, besides the houses of ration cardholders to find infested rice. Panchayat too had demanded an inquiry into the matter. 

Sooner, a flying squad of the Civil Supplies Department rushed at the FPS No. 93 and found a few bags of rice infested by maggots. 

Officials said that the owner of the said FPS has been asked to keep aside the infested rice and not to distribute it to the beneficiaries. The FPS owner has also been asked to change the infested rice immediately. 

What is interesting is that the Civil Supplies Minister Ravi Naik may have gone into denial mode on the issue, however after O Heraldo managed to collect evidence, the department officials too found the rice infested by maggots at a few fair price shops in Salcete. 

“We have been asked to report immediately if we find maggot-infested rice. We have also been warned of action if we continue with distribution of the maggot-infested rice,” said a fair price shop owner. 

He further stated that they have no issue, unless the department supplies healthy and clean rice and claimed that fair price shop owners and their employees are being targeted by the people when maggots are found in rice or any other food grain.