MARCOS GONSALVES
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MARGAO: O Heraldo visited several fair price shops in Salcete, besides Margao and Fatorda, and found massive quantities of substandard rice infested with maggots and fungus. A few owners telephonically informed them that they are yet to receive the stock for the month of May.
Shockingly, O Heraldo found that in April too, the Civil Supplies Department supplied rice infested with maggots, mites, and fungus from the godown at Cortalim that it was of a substandard quality which was later distributed to the ration cardholders.
Shockingly, the complaints from the fair price shop owners of Salcete taluka have been ignored as the supply of substandard rice continues even this month.
“All the officials were fully aware of the substandard quality of the rice that was being distributed to the cardholders, but they continued supplying the remaining stock even in May, as none from the general public raised their voice against the same,” one Fair Price shop owner alleged.
Only a few were lucky to get the standard quality of rice while the others were got the substandard stock.
A massive quantity of the substandard rice, which turned black, was supplied to the fair price shops in Raia, Fatorda, Navelim, Nagoa, etc, in April.
A few fair price owners said that they have received a supply of standard rice as compared to the stock received in April. They were forced to distribute the rice to the cardholders as they were left with no other option, despite bringing this issue to the notice of officials concerned at the Cortalim godown.
The rice supplied to the fair price shops was from the old stock and the officials were fully aware that it contained maggots, mites, and fungus.
An owner of a fair price shop at Aquem said that a department official inspected the stock where he too found the substandard rice supplied from the Cortalim godown. Civil Supplies Inspector R Salgaonkar informed that on Wednesday morning, Director Gopal Parsekar along with other officials inspected the godown located at Cortalim.
However the Civil Supplies director was in apparent denial as he told O Heraldo, “The team during the inspection found no stock infested. All FPS operators check the grains while taking them and there are very little chances of infestation at the godowns,” he said. “Of all the godowns, we found that only a couple of the foodgrains stock was infested. We will file a report of these inspections soon,” Parsekar said.
“We questioned the officials at the Cortalim godown on the substandard quality of rice, however, they informed us that they have no other stock to supply,” said an owner of the fair price shop in Salcete.
He further informed that he too was shocked to notice the black rice with maggots in it.
Since Tuesday evening, Civil Supplies officials were on their toes to inquire into the facts and after visiting several fair price shops in Salcete they found the rice infested with maggots and fungus.
Another fair price shop owner informed that at least in May he received ‘okay like’ stock as compared to the rice they distributed in April.
As foodgrains not fit for consumption continue to tor, the rot of inefficiency and carelessness is raising even more stink.
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No infestation by maggots or mites, during inspection, claims Director…
PANJIM: Putting the onus of protecting and preserving the food grains stock on the Fair Price Shop (FPS) owners, Director of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Gopal Parsekar on Wednesday said that the stock in their godowns is safe.
Parsekar said, “I have personally inspected the godowns and found no infestation by maggots or mites. The food grains inside the sacks we checked are safe for consumption. I do not deny the fact there may be some infestation, but measures are taken regularly to keep it away.”
“We have asked the people if they find any such infestation then they should return the grains back to the FPS,” he said.
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… But Cortalim godown rice infested with maggots, fungus
Civil Supplies Dept directs FPS owners
to clean rice before distribution
Director of Civil Supplies Gopal Parsekar along with his team on Wednesday visited a godown at Cortalim and found several bags of rice infested with maggots and fungus. The department has instructed the fair price shop owners to clean the rice before distributing the same to the cardholders or replace the substandard stock with fresh ones.
“We cannot deny the fact that rice in several bags with fungus and mites were found in the godown at Cortalim. The Department has now instructed the owners of the fair price shops not to distribute the rice to cardholders if found substandard,” said Civil Supplies Inspector R Salgaonkar.
He said that fair price shop owners can replace the stock or clean it before distributing the same to the cardholders.
