BJP to file PIL in SC on low quality food grains

Based on an RTI reply from the Food Corporation of India which states that 60 per cent of wheat and 33 per cent of rice samples sent to it were below norms, BJP on Thursday said it will take up the issue through a PIL in the Supreme Court.

Based on an RTI reply from the Food Corporation of India which states that 60 per cent of wheat and 33 per cent of rice samples sent to it were below norms, BJP on Thursday said it will take up the issue through a PIL in the Supreme Court.

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BJP National Secretary Kirit Sommaiya had filed an RTI plea in reply to which FCI's Central Laboratory, Institute of Food Security in Gurgaon had stated that about 60 per cent of the wheat and 33 per cent of rice samples sent to them were found below the norms.

Out of 285 rice samples, 95 were found below normal, and 0f 72 samples of wheat 42 were below the set standard. The figures are from January 1, 2009 to July 21, 2010.

"There is a huge difference between the information that the Central government is giving and the reality. BJP is going to intervene in a PIL before the Supreme Court on the issue in the court of Justice Dalveer Bhandari," Sommaiya said.

He claimed that FCI Haryana had informed him that out of 64 Lakh tonnes of wheat lying with FCI Central pool, 50 Lakh tonnes were lying in the open.

Sommaiya had sought to know what the government did with the low quality wheat and rice.

"Where did the rejected wheat go? Was it mixed with the good wheat and rice or was it sold to the distillers," he asked.