BHUBANESWAR: Reeling under staff shortage, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has declined to carry out quality control inspection of foodgrains procured by State agencies and stored in their stockyards.In a letter, the General Manager of FCI has conveyed the status to the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department which, in turn, has asked all Collectors and Civil Supplies Officers to ensure that quality is maintained from FCI depots to distribution points.The Centre had, in August, directed states to ensure procurement of stocks as per the prescribed quality standards and maintain the same in the storage, till it is taken over by FCI. In fact, under the decentralised procurement (DCP) scheme, procurement of foodgrains and safe maintenance during storage till distribution is the responsibility of the State Government. Similarly, the Government has to ensure quality of food grains received from depots of FCI till the stock is distributed among the beneficiaries through fair price shops. The primary responsibility of maintaining quality of foodgrains will be the concern of the State.Amidst all this, FCI is facing serious shortage of quality control personnel. In the last nine years, the total strength of quality control staff has decreased from 5,111 to 4,001. In view of the shortage, FCI has conveyed that it may not undertake routine inspection of wheat and paddy procured by State agencies and stored in their godowns.However, inspection of wheat and rice delivered at FCI godowns will continue to be undertaken by the quality control staff of the corporation. In case of complaints received about poor quality of foodgrains procurement and maintenance of stocks by the State, FCI will inspect the stocks jointly with quality control staff of the State agencies and a joint report generated.The corporation has made it clear that it will be the responsibility of the Government to inspect quality of stocks issued by its agencies to respective fair price shops.
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