Complaints of fungus-infested wheat being sold to the poor through the public distribution system (PDS) have come from Nadel village in this district. Villagers held a demonstration yesterday and demanded action against the depot-holder as well as the authorities responsible for supplying the rotten wheat.
“The wheat being supplied to us through the PDS is not even worthy of feeding animals. Our children will be taken ill if they are made to eat it,” said Amarjit Kaur, a villager. Pritam Singh, another villager, alleged that the authorities considered the poor and slum-dwellers worse than animals.
That was why they tried to liquidate their stocks of decayed wheat by selling it to the poor. Villagers alleged that the depot-holder refused to listen to their complaints and maintained that he would supply whatever foodgrains were supplied to him. “The depot-holder refused to listen to our complaint and got furious with us and said if 40 other families could purchase this wheat, why coulldn’t we,” alleged a villager, Gurmail Kaur.
The villagers alleged that the supply of poor quality foodgrains was a common problem and even the food and supplies authorities refused to listen to their complaint.
The District Food and Supplies Controller, DS Doon, however, tried to downplay the lapse and said the wheat was slightly discoloured and not infested with fungus.
He said the wheat sometimes was discoloured due to moisture but that did not render the foodgrains rotten. Bags of discoloured wheat, he added, had since been replaced.
Doon further alleged that the villagers were making much outcry because a section of them wanted to change the depot-holder.