Cracking a whip against rationing officers and rice mills, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal has ordered the suspension of the District Rationing Officer at Nagpur and Gadchiroli. He also ordered the cancellation of the licence of the rice mill in Gadchiroli, which supplied poor quality of rice.
The guardian minister got angry with the poor quality of rice being supplied to Nashik, his home district. He received several complaints about the same.
Taking serious note of these complaints, Bhujbal sought samples of rice being distributed through the ration shops in Nashik. When he inquired about it, the Nashik District Rationing Officer told him that the rice was supplied through a godown in Nagpur. He was also informed that the rice was supplied by a rice mill in Gadchiroli district.
“When people are fighting against COVID-19, what use is poor quality rice to them? This is serious. The quality control officer (who took possession of the rice despite its poor quality) as well as the Nagpur and Gadchiroli district rationing or supply officers should be suspended immediately. A departmental inquiry against these officers should be instituted,” Bhujbal directed Sanjay Khandare, secretary of food and civil supply. He also ordered to file cases against the rice mill under Essential Commodity Act and cancel its milling licence. Teams of senior officials will be constituted to inspect all the godowns to check the quality of rice and other food items being distributed through the rationing system.
