Panaji: Damaged wheat has been found in stocks maintained by the department of civil supplies following heavy rainfall, prompting the department to direct fair price shop (FPS) dealers and societies to identify, segregate and report any spoiled grain immediately.A day prior, social media was abuzz with videos of ration cardholders at the Savoi Verem reporting having received a supply of low quality wheat from the civil supplies department which was unfit for consumption.Assistant director of civil supplies Gaurav Naik said, “During heavy rainfall days, we have such instances of a few bags of grains getting spoiled. I have directed fair price shop dealers to immediately segregate and report such damaged stock. The moment they inform us, we will replace the damaged stock,” Naik said.He said the department also conducts random testing of grains at agricultural laboratories before the stock is distributed to fair price shops, as part of checks on the quality of food grains entering the distribution system across the state.Naik said societies handling the stock had been instructed to take additional precautions during the monsoon to prevent moisture-related damage. “These include ensuring that sacks do not become damp due to rain and properly covering bags in locations where there is a possibility of rainwater leakage. The societies have also been instructed to fumigate storage areas and undertake anti-rodent measures to protect food grain stocks from pests and contamination,” he said.However, consumers who have missed out on their wheat quota because of the damaged stock will not receive a replacement against the current month’s allocation. The month’s quota has already lapsed.“The department is examining whether the missed quantity can be accommodated in the following month’s allocation,” Naik said. “The possibility would depend on the department’s assessment of the situation and availability of stock.”
