Now, Karnataka rejects Punjab’s substandard rice

In a big blow to Punjab, samples of rice grown and sent from the state to Karnataka have been found to be ‘Beyond Rejection Limit’ and thus unfit for human consumption.

This is the second case of rejection of rice grown in the state after it was sent to a recipient state for public distribution. Two weeks ago, samples of rice sent to Arunachal Pradesh were found to be of poor quality and unfit for human consumption.

As many as 26 samples of fortified rice were collected by teams sent by Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution from storage depots and fair price shops in Hubbali (Karnataka).

Of these, four samples have been declared ‘Beyond Rejection Limit’. The ministry had asked for these stacks — from which the (rejected) samples were taken — to be replaced.

While 7,304 bags (3,568.837 quintals) were sent from Nabha to Hubbali, 2,995 bags (1,484.929 quintals) were sent from Bhogpur in Jalandhar district. Officials in Food Corporation of India (FCI) at Patiala and Jalandhar divisions have also been informed about it and asked to replace the stacks of rice whose samples were rejected because of high damage to grains.

This rejection of rice grown and procured from Punjab has raised the hackles of rice-shelling unit owners and farmers in the state, who smell a “conspiracy in the sudden rejection of Punjab rice”.

Rajinder Singh Deepsinghwala, vice-president of Kirti Kisan Union, said he feared that the rice samples from Punjab were being deliberately rejected for quality, months after these had been sent to the recipient states, to stop Punjabi farmers from growing rice. “It seems a public opinion is being built against the rice sent from Punjab because the Centre’s granaries are full. This is related to farmers being forced to stay put in mandis for days this year amidst slow procurement. It seems that the Centre wants to bring in corporate players in paddy procurement. Maybe in the next season, the corporates will offer rates less than the MSP, but farmers will go to them rather than spend sleepless nights in mandis,” he alleged. Rice millers, too, have expressed apprehensions that the FCI would stop the movement of rice from Punjab till the quality check on all rice in the state is done in wake of rice samples being rejected.

B Srinivasan, Regional General Manager, FCI Punjab Region, said that there were no instructions to check all stocks in Punjab for quality and assured that the movement of rice would continue.