MARGAO: “Inquiry into the maggot-infested rice supplied to fair price shops (FPS) is on and action will be taken against the culprits after receiving the inquiry report”- Civil Supplies Minister Ravi Naik in the Goa assembly on July 25.
O Heraldo which was at the forefront of investigating cases of maggot-filled rice in fair price shops hit the ground running to see if the trend continues or are the people of Goa getting healthy clean rice to eat. The results were shocking.
1. Ration cardholders continue to receive the maggot-infested rice under the Public Distribution System (PDS) from the Civil Supplies Department at the fair price shops (FPS). A shop owner informed that he tried to replace the infested rice twice in July but the department continued supplying the same.
“I found several bags of rice infested with maggots in June and July and tried to replace them. However, it was disgusting that the department continues to supply rice infested with maggots,” said the FPS owner.
When O Heraldo visited the fair price shops, the owners confirmed receiving the maggot-infested rice in June and July too, they are waiting to check the rice quality which will be supplied in August.
2. They confided that Civil Supplies officials are pressuring the Fair Price Shop owners not to disclose instances of them receiving maggot-filled rice to the media with an ‘assurance’ that they would be supplied good quality rice from now on.
Several FPS owners from Salcete continued to receive the supply of infested rice in June and July.
Ration shop owners alleged that infested rice is still with the department and is being mixed with new consignment which will be supplied to FPS and later distributed to the ration cardholders.
O Heraldo found that several ration cardholders refrained from taking the quota from the FPS, and those who collected threw the same after noticing maggots.
Shop owners have been asked to clean the rice and give it to customers
“I am tired of raising the issue with the officials concerned, who in turn asked us to clean the rice and then distribute it to the ration cardholders. The officials even ask us not to disclose the issue of infested rice with the media,” the FPS owner added.
Some of them even obliged the officials. A FPS owner from Margao informed that he received the infested rice in June. “I had to ask my worker to clean the infested rice and then distribute it to the ration cardholders, however, the quota supplied to me in July was okay,” he said.
One of them said that it is shocking to note that the department and the government is not serious about the issue that has caused hardship to the FPS owners and the people totally dependent on the rice distributed to them.
A ration cardholder said that he too continues to receive the infested rice from the FPS, but is forced to dump the same into the garbage bins.
“I am collecting the quota just to avoid the cancellation of the ration card. Such situations have been witnessed in recent times which are very serious in nature. It looks like the government is playing with the health of the people,” he charged.
What are maggots (that come complimentary with your rationed rice)?
Maggots are the larvae of flies and are typically found in decaying organic matter. They are small and worm-like with pointed heads and no limbs.
Risk factor: You may be susceptible to whatever they’ve eaten or been exposed to, such as faeces or rotting flesh.
This is what the CM and Civil Supplies Minister had said on May 17
We will suspend officials if maggot-infested rice is found
“We will probe any complaint regarding the inferior quality of rice or infested with maggots and take action against the Civil Supplies Inspector concerned. In case they are found guilty, we will suspend them. It is their responsibility to inspect the rice and supply to people”
— Ravi Naik, Civil Supplies Minister
These are quality issues: CM
These are “quality issues” affecting one or two sacks
— Pramod Sawant, Chief Minister
Citizens call for immediate steps to put system in place
Irked over the inaction of the authorities with regards to the maggot-infested rice supplied to ration cardholders in Salcete, the citizens demanded immediate measures to put the system in place and accused the officials of being hand-in-glove and added that unless the government gives a serious thought, the issue cannot
be resolved.
Custodio Fernandes, a resident of Borda, said that the situation proves that the government is not for the common man.
“By now steps should have been taken stop the supply of infested rice. There is something wrong in the system which has left the common man to suffer,” he alleged.
Joao Fernandes, a consumer, said, “We don’t say that the government is deliberately engaged in supplying the infested rice, but there should be some check as the issue is directly connected to health.”
Similarly, a fair price shop owner in Margao said that they are helpless and tired of raising their voice on the issue.
“What is more disturbing is that ration cardholders are targeting us for no fault of ours. We have to bear the brunt for the negligence on the part of the authorities concerned. It is sad to note that nobody is serious about the issue.
