Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Government Warehouses’: Rot Hub?

    Recent past it was seen that Apex Court of the country ordered government to take care of food grain and if it is unable to store food grain properly which resultants in rot because it lies in open and few spell of showers are enough to ruin it, thus then it is not for the use of even animals, while in the scolding tone to government especially there food and agriculture ministry Apex Court said that it is shame that scores of people are dying in the country because of hunger and ironically in multi thousand tones of food grain turns into rot in the government’s warehouses’, why not government distribute it to the needy persons instead let it turns into rot in the go downs’, so in the future either take care of food grain or distribute it among the needy but single piece of grain should not be waste in the country. In response to it union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar putting government side of story said his ministry is talking to the state governments to provide them land so that warehouses’ can be erected in the country. After this judgment of Apex Court it was believe that wastage of food grain in the government go downs will be story of history books and as par stats available on to the 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 go downs 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 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 go downs 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.
    but still of and on news catches the eyes of common people and they surprise and shocked to read that still in the country there is lack of proper facilities in the government go downs and food grain lying open which can be ruin by few spells of rain, and if anybody try to make contact with concerned warehouses’ top officials and have there attention on to it, they simply shrug there shoulders by passing on responsibilities of others, even state governments representatives wont accept there liabilities and blame to the union government and declared they procure food grain on behalf of central government and despite informing score of time it wont lift the food grain, but ultimately who ever is responsible every year country’s multi thousand tones of food items turns into waste simply lack of proper facilities.
      Recently picture and news publish in the newspaper in which as usual food grain bags were stacks in open without any safety from rain and few rain drops are enough to waste them, Punjab Agro go down of jalalabad stored food grain in the open and when senior officials were contacted to have there attention on to it, there response was in denying mold and it appears as if they have closed eyes towards it, while responding to the query of correspondence he said few days back inspector retired from his post and now his post is vacant and as far lying of food grain in he open is concern he just recently visited the go down and everything I found satisfactory, and if any minor problem exist there as per your vision it will also be taken care soon.
      In the past also whenever media expose, or people get information through RTI, or question asked in the parliament about the wastage of food grain in government go downs then minister as usual respond that he will look into the matter and if any government officials found guilty then he will punish strictly, but later on nothing happened as far government action is concern, now despite alerts from media section, senior officials are not ready to accept that there is problem in there food grain storing technique and it can turns into waste by few rain spells.

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