The Madhya Pradesh government is planning to overhaul its milling policy with greater emphasis on quality control and inspections, a graded approach to incentives and mobile phone-based solutions in view of thousands of metric tonnes (MT) of rice stocks being found to be non-issuable or unfit for human consumption during an ongoing State-wide inspection.
The Madhya Pradesh State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited didn’t have a proper quality control wing, its Managing Director Abhijeet Agrawal told The Hindu . “We just have 10-12 third party quality controllers State-wide, and have a huge shortage of such technical manpower. We plan to set up a permanent quality control cadre, having at least 500-600 employees.”
Further, just 700 millers State-wide were not commensurate with the increasing yearly procurement: 25.8 lakh MT was procured in December and January, 2019. So, in a bid to encourage the milling sector, the government planned on a graded approach to incentivise millers based on efficiency parameters, a shift from the flat ₹25 a quintal incentive offered universally, said Mr. Agrawal.
In addition, the government planned to hand over the procured stocks directly to millers, in an attempt to begin milling early to allow for proper inspections in time. “This year, milling began in April, a month late, which pressed officials extensively during inspections,” he added.
“Using sortex machines, millers can sort our grains more efficiently. Right now, only 30% have them State-wide. We are working towards making the machines mandatory,” said Mr. Agrawal., besides pointing to the plan to set up district-level quality-control laboratories.
As of September 17, inspection reports revealed 35,000 MT rice stocks in 48 of 52 districts was non-issuable - returnable to millers who have to provide issuable stocks - 1,40,000 MT issuable and more than 20,000 MT unfit for human consumption. “ We have received reports for 70% of the samples as of now,” Mr. Agrawal said, while stating supply of rice stocks had resumed.
Stocks withheld
Rice stocks were withheld State-wide last month after the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution found in August samples collected in Mandla and Balaghat districts to be unfit for human consumption, and instead suitable for livestock, cattle and poultry.
“We are backtracing those who declared stocks as confirming standards, and will seek directions from the State government to fix the responsibility for so many people,” Mr. Agrawal said. Further, if 10% of the lot with millers was found below the rejection limit, blacklisting proceedings will be initiated against them.
Immense pressure
There was immense pressure on officials in April, May and June to supply huge quantities of rice stocks especially, as wheat mills remained shut during the lockdown, under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, said an official of the Corporation, requesting anonymity. “We had to supply around 8.2 lakh MT of rice, while our annual consumption is 10 lakh MT,” he said.
Further, the official claimed transport restrictions in view of the lockdown and diversion of manpower to salvage wheat stocks drenched in cyclone ‘Nisarga’ didn’t allow for adequate inspections of rice stocks, a claim rejected by Mr. Agrawal.
