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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Rice stocks rot for years

Rice stocks rot for years

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published Published on Aug 22, 2010   modified Modified on Aug 22, 2010


A huge quantity of rice, enough to feed thousands of hungry mouths, has been allowed to rot in drought-hit Jharkhand.

Nearly 14,000 quintals of rice perished thanks to the negligence of the East Singhbhum district administration which did precious little to stop sacks of staple from being reduced to an inedible heap at a block office godown near Parsudih.

Officials said scrapping of the Sampurn Gramin Rojgar Yojana (SGRY) in 2006 was the reason behind the mess as it was under the programme that the consignment was despatched by the state food corporation.

The scheme of the rural development department was scrapped in 2006 and was subsequently replaced by MGNREGS the following year.

“The consignment has been lying in the godown ever since the scheme was scrapped. No decision was taken to distribute the foodgrain through some other scheme for those living in rural areas,” an official at the block office said.

When contacted, sub-divisional officer Sunil Kumar Sinha said he would inspect the stock on Monday and initiate salvage operations.

“Correspondence by the block office in this regard has been on since 2007 but there was delay in taking a decision,” Sinha admitted, adding that the stock could have been saved and distributed through some other scheme.

Explaining why the rice was not used, deputy development commissioner Dadan Choubey said: “Under the SGRY, the rural poor were given wheat and rice in lieu of work. But in MGNREGS, they are paid in cash. So, the rice remained stocked in the godown,” he said.

He added that “cleaning operations” had started to see whether a part of the consignment was fit for consumption.

Though Choubey had asked the block development officer (Jamshedpur) to segregate the stock, no step was taken.

“In his letter dated August 7, 2010, the DDC had specifically asked the BDO to segregate the consignment and also weigh the safe stock for distribution through other schemes,” a staff at the block office said.

The BDO did not act on the instruction, allowing more of the consignment to perish. It is not known whether a part of consignment can be salvaged any more. Block officials said the entire lot of 14,000 quintals perished.

Block development officer (Jamshedpur) Sunil Kumar refused to comment.


The Telegraph, 22 August, 2010, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100822/jsp/frontpage/story_12839603.jsp


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