May 2, 2020
Rotten and foul-smelling wheat is scattered all over at an open godown of FCI managed by the Haryana government at Nagura.
The crisis of pandemic has resulted in chaotic management, as lakhs of poor people and migrant workers are battling hunger at various levels and their portion of ration is rotting in the warehouses and godowns. Reports have found tons and tons of wheat damaged as it is stored in the open sheds at a government warehouse in Nagura of Jind, Haryana.
After the authentic reports, the investigation was carried out also revealed that breaching storage norms, tons of old stock of wheat is kept in the open godowns along the highway between Rohtak and Jind. In 2019-20, only 1,930 tons of food grain was damaged. But food experts doubt this figure as close to 132 lakh tons of food grain is stored at open godowns of FCI.
Including Punjab, Haryana, UP and MP, Center has approved more godowns with a capacity of 90 lakh tons in major wheat-producing states. “Technically called the Cover and Plinth (CAP) facility, tons of wheat from old stock has been stored at this open godown. We found plinth damaged and the cover of stacks torn and blown away that has left the wheat exposed to rainwater seepage through the stacks causing damage to it. Such is the extent of damage that wheat stored in some stacks has turned black and become unfit for human consumption” Ashok, the godown in-charge disclosed that since the covered godowns at Nagura facility are full, so they have no other option but to store wheat in the open grounds and shed.
He accepted that wheat kept in open is getting damaged as it has not been lifted by FCI and they cannot do much about it. “We are just keeping this stock for FCI, storm often blows away the covers and waterlogging due to rain damages the plinth,” he said. “The open godown is also exposed to monkeys and birds which damage the wheat,” he added.
FCI guidelines for storage of foodgrain at CAP facility are very clear cut. All the food grains should be stored on elevated plinths and platforms and wooden crates are used as dunnage material. As per norms, stacks should be properly covered with specifically fabricated low-density black polythene waterproof covers and tied with nylon ropes/nets. The investigation found a number of CAP godowns between Rohtak and Jind, openly flouting the safety norms of the food grains.
At most facilities, the food grain were found open and exposed to the climate, not properly covered or were blown away with the wind and the plinth was damaged or missing. There are clear guidelines that food grains cannot be stored in CAP godowns for more than six months. FCI has defaulted on this norm.
Balbir Singh, a local contractor with the Government warehouse warns that no amount of plinth and cover can keep the food grain stored in the open safe for a long period. “This is wastage of food grain produced after hard work of the farmer, the agency covers it and uses wooden plinth, but it is not sufficient as storing foodgrain like this can never be safe like this,” he said.
Keeping themselves safe, the government claims that damage to food grain has come down drastically over the years with modern storage. But farmer unions allege that this reports are untrue, the damage is intentional and want to sell rotten wheat at cheap rates.
V. M. Singh of the All India Kisan Coordination Committee told media, “Nexus is absolutely there between Food Corporation officials and cattle feed people, distillery owners who are buyers.’ ‘This is a big ugly game, not only the bad and rotten wheat but also the good wheat is sold at Rs. 5/-, Rs. 4 and as less as Rs. 2 a kg to these people while the corrupt make money,” he alleged. The overflowing granaries have compounded the storage problem.
Food grain stock is at an all-time high. Government figures show food grain stock is three times the minimum operational strategic reserve. Modi government has announced allocation of 5 kg food grain for migrant laborers, it also increased ration quota under PM Garib Kalyan Scheme for the poor to tide over lockdown due to Coronavirus pandemic. Former Food Commissioner of SC appointed committee, Dr. N C Saxena, fears most of this allocation is on paper. He said, “The best way to save food grain from rotting in godowns in to distribute them among the needy and poor.”