Civil Supplies dept begins taking back perished food grains from ration shops

Thriuvananthapuram: The Food and Civil Supplies Department has started removing the perished rice distributed at ration shops as part of COVID resistance activities. As the initial phase, about 300 sacks kept in the ration shops in Nedumangad taluk in Thiruvananthapuram was removed under the supervision of taluk supply officer and rationing inspectors on Wednesday.

The authorities said that the damaged sacks in other districts also will be removed in the coming days on the basis of the report of the district supply officers and also perished grains will be replaced with good quality items immediately. About three years' old rice and wheat were distributed in the shops last month as part of the special ration.

The ration dealers checked the sacks after intense odour emitted out of it and found the grains in a perished state. Many of them were sewed by the godown workers without any FCI tag. After the reports in this regard was published, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies P Thilothaman ordered for a probe.

It was found in an investigation by the Civil Supplies Director that many of the sacks supplied in the shops across the state were damaged. About 18,200 sacks of food grains were damaged in three godowns of Nedumangad SupplyCo alone. Also perished grains were supplied in Karthikappally taluk from Mavelikkara FCI godown and in Thrissur.

The media had reported that the mistake in the order of sending the rice to shops resulted in the huge loss. The grains, which was perished due to the irresponsibility of the officials, was sent to the shops along with good quality products in June, the reports pointed out.

Following this, the minister asked the district supply officers to replace the perished items. The office of the minister informed that the sacks distributed from godowns should be checked by the merchants and the sacks without FCI tags should not be received.