As the controversy over the rice meant for Anganwadi distribution under the Fortified Nutrition Programme (FNP) deepens, Social Welfare Minister Kyrmen Shylla tried to absolve his department of any wrongdoing, but he admitted that he did not understand why the rice landed up in an Assam warehouse.
The question is what and how the company from which it was seized was engaged in fortifying the rice meant to boost the nutrition of pregnant women and children.
“Actually they (Social Welfare Department suppliers) are not supposed to send the rice to Guwahati but to Delhi-Gurgaon. What makes them stock it there (Guwahati) is what we from the department are trying to find out,” Shylla said yesterday.
Assam police revealed that one lakh sacks of rice belonging to Meghalaya under the FNP scheme were found stocked in a warehouse in the premises of Maruti Quality Products Pvt Ltd, located in the Chhaygoan Industrial Development Centre, Chhatabari under the Boko Police Station, which is actually to the west of Guwahati. Assam police said that the rice was being repackaged into East Sunrise bags.
Assam media believe that this is a massive scam, though the owners of the rice, the Meghalaya government, has been doing its best to downplay the issue.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma in fact quibbled about the number of bags, saying today that one lakh was an exaggeration as only 33,000 were seized. He also reiterated that the rice was not meant for rations nor Covid relief, but for the fortified foods programme, for which first quarter stocks have already been received by the state. Nevertheless, the government has asked the company to provide a clarification on the matter.
For his part, at first Shylla tried to wash his hands of the whole issue by saying that the FNP rice allotted to the Social Welfare Directorate was handed over to the suppliers hired by the directorate. They were supposed to fortify it and give it back to the department for distribution to the Anganwadi centres. This is in keeping with past practice and the directorate carries out regular checks to ensure that quality standards are maintained.
But with the minister now admitting that it is strange that the rice meant to be taken to Gurgaon for fortification was found in a warehouse near Guwahati, it seems apparent that the suppliers were not doing their work according to expected procedures.
According to Assam based media reports, the issue came to light on June 1 when local people of Nadiapara village saw truckloads of rice coming to their area. Suspecting that something was amiss, they alerted the Boko police. The trucks were then seized as the drivers could not provide adequate documents or explanations.
On investigation the police found that FCI Meghalaya had sent the rice under the Wheat Based Nutrition Programme and National Food Security Act through the Directorate of Social Welfare Meghalaya. At the warehouse, the rice was being repackaged under the East Sunrise brand. This brand is usually purchased by Assam Rifles, the media reports said.
Further, the media outlet said the East Sunrise is actually the part of Continental Milkose, a company owned by one Deepak Agarwal. As far as this businessman is concerned, one of the major activists and leader of TUR, a local organization, Angela Rangad, has revealed that he was embroiled in a similar controversy over NFSA rice a decade ago. She questioned why the Social Welfare Directorate has continued to use scam-tainted suppliers.
