Bihar to approach Centre on storage and supply of foodgrain

Bihar government on Saturday said that it would approach the Centre on issues pertaining to storage and supply of alleged poor and inferior quality of foodgrains to the economically backward section.

Bihar government on Saturday said that it would approach the Centre on issues pertaining to storage and supply of alleged poor and inferior quality of foodgrains to the economically backward section. "The state government will take up with the Centre the issue of supply of inferior quality of foodgrains for the poor from Food Corporation of India (FCI) godowns," Minister for Food and Consumer Protection Shyam Rajak told reporters in Patna.

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Rajak, who conducted a surprise inspection of the godowns of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) in Phulwarisharief and Digha near Patna, detected "glaring irregularities" in the godowns, officials said. The minister, found 'inferior quality' of rice and wheat being stored, and that several bags containing foodgrains were hand stitched in place of the normal practice of proper stitching, officials said, adding Rajak directed the department officials to ensure 'joint sampling' of foodgrains.

Rajak also said that a high level meeting with the FCI officials would be convened to ensure that only good quality of rice and wheat were made available to the economically weaker section.