FCI denies supply of adulterated foodgrains under PDS in MP

New Delhi, Oct 10 (UNI) Food Corporation of India (FCI), the government's nodal agency, has categorically denied supply of any low quality foodgrains to Madhya Pradesh under public distribution system (PDS), claiming that it has not received any such complaint from the Armed and para-military forces for its same supplies.

''The samples jointly collected by FCI and the state government agency from the fair price shop (FPS) which reported to have supplied low quality wheat, have revealed that the stocks there were of the fair average quality (FAQ) standrard,'' FCI CMD Alok Sinha said here today.

A TV channel a few days earlier had telecast that wheat supplied at Dabiya village near Khandwa in MP, was of low quality red wheat imported from Australia, which it said was unfit for human consumption.

''The FCI had not received any such complaint from anywhere even after the consumption of 45 lakh tonnes of the total 55 lakh tonnes imported wheat it supplied to the agencies,'' he said.

The on-the-spot inquiry was conducted in association with the MP state government agencies and recorded the statement of the concerned Gram Panchayat which found that there was no such complaint about the quality of the grain from consumers, Mr Sinha added.

He also made it clear that before the supplies are made the buying agencies are called to check the quality of the stocks and a certificate is procured from them to that effect.

Regarding the supply of imported wheat, Mr Sinha said before taking the supplies at the port, these stocks are checked for quality and fitness for consumption and then they were subjected to curative treatments before taking to FCI buffer storage.

He said there was a network of around 1,500 FCI depots across the country which deliver stocks to the nominated state agencies and other Central institutions under PDS.

''The Corporation is committed to provide foodgrain stocks of good and sound quality to the people of India under various schemes as per the laid down standards,'' FCI CMD added.

UNI