Bandipore, May 17: Nearly 6000 tons of foodgrains meant for distribution among the poor have been rotting in this north Kashmir district for the past 15-years.    
 The documents—copies of which are with Greater Kashmir—reveal how the food grains were illegally stockpiled in the rented stores by then store keeper, who was later suspended on the charges of illegal hoarding and callous attitude.  
 Surprisingly, the government has failed to dispose off the grains despite constituting two committees. “The authorities did not take any action to fix responsibility for large-scale damage despite knowing that the huge quantity of grains meant for public distribution turned into a rot,” the documents state. 
 The concerned officers, according to the documents, had sought repeated permission to open the locks of the stores but they failed to get the keys back from the official (store keeper) who is now retired.
 “The then storekeeper was suspended in 1999 but till date he has neither handed over the charge nor the keys of the godowns,” sources said.
 The fungus-filled rice bags are lying in the 12-shops, which were rented by the department in 1996.
 The rice was found to be unfit for human consumption as it is rotten and decomposed, sources added.
 In order to open the store and distribute the stock government constituted a committee on March 31, 1997 but it failed to submit its report, sources said, adding the government constituted another committee headed by then director CAPD Kashmir on March 13, 2006 but that committee also failed to deliver. 
 They said that hundreds of quintals of rice are rotting in Gurez township due to the government’s inaction. “The rice bags were dispatched 20-years ago by the Directorate under the Public Distribution System (PDS) in the three trucks, but the stock was illegally dumped in the stores. It continues to be there till date,” sources added. 
 When contacted the Assistant Director of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Ghulam Muhammad said, “The stock is rotting in store for the past 20-years, we have intimated the higher authorities who in turn have reconstituted the committee to dispose it off,” he said.
 Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner Bandipore Manzoor Ahmed Lone said the decomposed stock would be disposed off within 10-days
 “I have visited the spot and opened the store shops. The food grains are totally decomposed and need to be disposed off,” he added.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 17 May 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 17 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 18 May 2011 00:00:00 IST