Barnala, September 6
Even as the Food Corporation of India (FCI) authorities have been making efforts to salvage the reputation of Punjab rice, quality control staff has detected rice beyond rejection limit (BRL) quality in its various godowns during checking in Sangrur district.

Official sources revealed that three employees of the level of assistant manager (quality control) and technical assistant (TA) had been suspended and three others transferred out of Sangrur district after this incident.

Though the FCI officials posted at Sangrur were tightlipped regarding the detection of BRL rice stock in the godowns, information gathered by TNS revealed that rice stock worth crores of rupees had been found to be BRL and unfit for human consumption.

Mr V.K. Singh, Senior Regional Manager (SRM), FCI, Punjab, when contacted, on phone said that checking process was on and he had been taking action as per the reports being submitted to him by the quality control staff.

Sources said that quality control staff had checked 10 per cent of the stock of rice lying at 27 storage centres of FCI in Sangrur district but vested interests were trying to hush up the matter.

They added that FCI authorities had been going slow with regard to taking action against the accused as the next paddy procurement season was approaching and it did not want to disturb the set-up.

Mr Bhawnwar Singh, District Manager, FCI, Sangrur, said that he was not aware of the detection.

Mr Prem Sagar, Convener, Joint Action Committee of the FCI Executive Staff Union, FCI Class-IV Employees Union, FCI SC/ST Staff Welfare Association and FCI Quality Control Staff Welfare Association in a written statement alleged that large-scale corruption was rampant in the matter of acceptance of rice stock below specifications prescribed by the government of India.

He claimed that samples drawn by the regional office flying squad confirmed that rice below specification had been accepted. He said that a CBI probe was mandatory to unearth the scam.