There are irregularities all over the place here, exclaimed State food, public distribution and consumer affairs minister Saryu Roy during his visit to the State Food Corporation Godown on Friday. He was there on an inspection visit after receiving reports of food grains rotting in one of the three repositories.
But finding the reported granary locked, Roy proceeded to inspect another storehouse in the campus only to find mismanagement abound. Upon checking the warehouses records, he discovered supply of food-grains to PDS outlets in the district, supervised by a single DSD contractor, to be highly erratic.
Food grains which were to be delivered by the end of last month were found to be still coming in. The time period for delivering the stocks to SFC godowns is often extended by the officials, conveyed state FCI General Manager to the minister over telephonic conversation.
When asked for explanations, District Supply Officer Manoj Kumar stated, “The public representatives physically verify the stock on 15th of every month and then distribute it on the 25th. The storehouse remains too packed to receive any more stock.”
In response to this, Roy said, “Public representatives are supposed to regularly distribute food grains to the PDS beneficiaries. But if they wish to work only two days a month then it is not to be tolerated.”
The labourers complained that there are no basic amenities at the warehouse, which makes their work more difficult than it already is.
“There are no washrooms or sources of drinking water within the godown premises. We have to relieve ourselves in the bushes growing around and to go to the nearby petrol pump for when thirsty. Severe injuries and even death of workers are not paid heed to. We have taken our grievances to the contractor but he usually sends his representatives instead of coming in person; we don’t see a lot of him,” a godown worker told Roy.
Roy ordered the broken hand pump in the godown premises so that the problem of drinking water for the godown employees can be solved. He promised ESIC and provident fund privileges to the labourers.
“The contractor should fulfil these instructions within ten days or his contract will be nullified. I will also be looking into the details of the stock he moves to the PDS shops and any irregularities there will be met with strict action,” Roy said.