'Check quality of rice, don't leave it on store keepers', Goa CM tells officials

Panaji, May 15 After ration card holders were supplied rice infested with maggots, mites and fungus, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said that civil supply officials should check the godowns (to check quality) and should not leave it on store keepers.

Goa's Department of Civil Supplies, which is often in the limelight for wastage and spoilage of commodities in godowns, has now once again drawn attention over its alleged mismanagement by supplying spoiled rice to ration card holders in the coastal state.

"I have asked to replace the stock. As per the report, it is one consignment (spoiled one) and the department has started taking action. Officers from the head office should check the godowns, they should not leave it on store keepers," Sawant said.

Speaking to , Civil Supplies Director Gopal Parsekar said that it is a fact that some fair price shops have received spoiled rice, which will be replaced soon.

"We normally check the rice when stocked in godowns. However, the photos of this supplied rice clearly show that it is spoiled and hence we will replace it," he said.

Former Civil Supplies Minister Jose Philip D'souza has criticised officials for wastage of this rice in huge quantities.

"Civil Supplies inspectors should check it before delivering to fair price shops (FPS). I don't blame the minister directly, but there are officers whose duty is to check. They have not checked it and hence has reached to FPS," D'souza, Goa NCP President, said.

He said that FPS owners should not have given it to the public when they came to know that rice was spoiled.

"They are also to be blamed for it as they failed to bring it to the notice of officers," D'souza said.

In August last year, the Civil Supplies Department drew criticism after 241 tonnes of 'toor daal' was found spoiled in the godowns.

Sawant had then said that officials responsible for the wastage of 241 tonnes of daal will face action.

sbk/pgh