In a display of a paradoxical scenario, Odisha, where over 10 per cent rural and around 13 per cent urban households are unable to get even two square meals, saw over 20,500 tonnes of food grains going waste last year.
According to the data with the Food Corporation of India (FCI), single largest storage agency of food grains with around 90 per cent share in the State, around 6,143 tonnes of food grains stocked up got wasted last fiscal in storage centres across the State.
The wastage took a quantum leap to around 10,300 tonnes during the transit of the stocks in the State by the FCI. Sources in FCI further observed that due to poor offtake of wheat allocated to State under public distribution system (PDS), around 1-3 metric tonnes of wheat meant for consumers are now unfit to be issued. As per data available up to February 1, 2015, a whopping 7,108 tonnes of food grains under central pool in Odisha has been declared as unfit for consumption.
It needs mentioning that as per data available up to December 1, 2014, the State was able to lift off around 12lakh tonnes of food grain from the allocated pool of over 14.5lakh tonnes. Similarly, the off take of food grains by the State Government under the Targeted Public Distribution System’s (TPDS) special adhoc allocation has been mere 44,000 tonnes against the allocation of 2.6 lakh tonnes.
The Food and Civil Supplies Department, however, officially stated that the offtake with regard to the quota allocated for BPl population is nearly complete but the gap noticed is only with regard to quota meant for APl beneficiaries. But by the end of current fiscal the lifting off would be total in all the categories, it claimed.
The pertinent fact of matter here is the National Sample Survey (NSS) in its 68th Report released in 2014 had found that over 10-12 per cent households in Odisha were unable to avail the daily calorific requirement of around 2760Kcal as they didn’t have the purchasing power to buy food grains. In this context, the Supreme Court way back in year 2012 had urged all the States to distribute food grains free of cost by ensuring zero wastage. However, the food grains wasted in godowns maintained by both the FCI and the State Government in Odisha in 2014-15 up to December 31, 2014 was over 5,000 tonnes.
Moreover, the ominous trend observed despite SC ruling is the wastage quantity has grown by nearly three times from 2011-12 to 2013-14. Interestingly, the State Government didn’t feel significant enough to convene a meeting to tackle the growing menace of food grain loss last year.
Significantly, the shocker FCI revealed officially is pilferage has been a factor behind the loss along with unscientific storing in godowns. Sources informed that the FCI has over 23 godowns in the State and it hired over 35 more. While its own godowns have almost the right specifications, the same is not so with the hired ones. Moreover, when the State has a ‘covered’ storage capacity of around 12-13 tonnes only, procured quantity load is high. The FCI officially is also mulling to post 24X7 positioning of State Armed Police at certain godowns to deal with the pilferage menace, sources indicated.
However, Odisha Khadya Adhikar Abhiyan activist Pradip Pradhan lambasted both the FCI and the State for their lackadaisical attitude towards huge food grain loss. Despite SC ruling in 2012, why the remedial measures were still found wanting in State, he questioned.