Wastage of Wheat

    India is one of the biggest producers of wheat in the world. It is tragedy that countless people in the country have not access of full tummy two times food in a day and more shocking is that wheat is ruined in the government godowns due to lack of proper storing facilities. It is the responsibilities of the government to use its assets in right manner and take care of its citizen, but governments first let its valuable assets waste then smartly passes on buck to others and escape to accept that it has fail to utilise it valuable assets properly. It is really a shame rather crime in country like India if food items rotten in the government warehouses’ not in kilos but in tons which later on not good for any living beings to use. Considering this Supreme Court of India pass on directive to Central Government to take care of every food grain and if they have not proper arrangements to store them, then it should be release to the poor people of the country but it should not be ruined. If we go through the stats available in the country courtesy Right to Information Act food items rotten in the government warehouses’ in last five years then it will shake badly that how much Food Corporation of India’s officials are careless and despite knowing that wheat or rice in open will rotten with little spell of rain and why not they inform higher or concerned authorities to take care of food items, but after the news broken of their negligence then they starts blaming game, even Food and Agriculture Minister of country Mr. Sharad Pawar instead of taking action against the tainted officials and taking responsibilities of wastage, blame state governments. Ultimately poor people sufferer and government money wasted. Below are stats of wastage of food items in the warehouses of Food Corporation of India-

• As per information pass on to Mr. Ashish Bhattacharya in the year 2008, Food Corporation of India (F.C.I.) had accepted that in their godowns 1.83 lakhs ton wheat, 3.95 lakhs ton rice and 22,000 ton paddy were ruined during past five years. After this shocking revelation of F.C.I., Mr. Anand Kumar member of Parliament in the house had asked question from Food and Agriculture Minister Mr. Sharad Pawar, “If his ministry is going to take action against responsible officers who are unable to take care of food items.” In reply Mr. Sharad Pawar said that he will take action against it. When no action was taken then on 6th January, 2010, R.T.I. activist Mr. Ashish Bhattacharya seek an information under R.T.I. act from Food and Agriculture ministry, “What action government has taken against the question and how much grain rotten further in the godowns of F.C.I.? Shocking information received by Mr. Bhattacharya in which ministry accepted that until 1st January,2010 total 14,088 metric ton food items ruined further in the warehouses of F.C.I. Along with it ministry also forward stats of different zone –

East Zone – 1,010 ton wheat
                    1,506 ton rice
                        54 ton paddy
North East Zone – 53 ton wheat
                               6,80 ton rice
North Zone - 73 ton wheat
                      4,648 ton rice
South Zone – 6 ton wheat
                      71 ton rice
West Zone – 1434 ton wheat
                        164 ton rice
                          81 ton paddy
as per words of Mr. Bhattacharya in the Government reply after 4rth August,2009, the day when Mr. Anand Kumar asked question, total 2576 ton wheat, 7069 ton rice ruined in the warehouses of F.C.I. and in it 2083 ton rice from Punjab and West Bengal’s 757 ton another food items are not included.
    Above coded details are points towards failure of bureaucrats, system and ministry to take care of food items, and shortage of these items in the market across country shooting the prices’ of these items and people in the some parts of the country are unable to have full stomach food. Thanks to the Supreme Court of India’s directive to the Central Government to take care of food items otherwise distribute it among poor people of the country but single piece of grain should not be ruined, it will be story of past.