Paddy worth Rs 4,300 cr rots as samples fail to pass muster

The matter has now reached Parliament,where questions are being raised on the issue,as the Centre is yet to take a decision on the lifting of the PAU-201 variety of paddy stored in various godowns and rice mills across Punjab.

Sources said 75 food samples of the PAU-201 variety were taken and sent for examination to different food testing laboratories in Ghaziabad,Pune and Mysore.

While results of the Central Food Testing Lab at Ghaziabad revealed there was no damage to the stored paddy,three out of 25 samples had failed the tests at the Central Food Testing Lab at Pune,indicating 12 per cent damage.

The results of the Central Food Technology Research Institute (CFTRI),Mysore,however,were startling as six out of 25 samples failed the tests,indicating a 24 per cent damage to the crop.

The divergent test reports of various testing labs have complicated the issue. The Centre is yet to decide on the grant of relaxation to the PAU-201 variety of paddy.

While the Punjab government has been putting pressure on the Centre for a relaxation in the rice shelled from the PAU-201 paddy variety,the Union Food Ministry,in consultation with the Union Ministry of Health,is yet to act on the matter.

Punjab’s Director Food and Civil Supplies,D S Grewal,told The Indian Express the Centre has to take a call on the issue,as the Punjab CM has already pressed upon the Centre for a relaxation in the paddy variety while milling rice.

The Punjab chief secretary has met top officials of the Centre and sought relaxation. The Punjab Rice Millers’ Association has sought early resolution of the matter.

The association has expressed anguish over the fact that all the results of the PAU-201 samples taken from Punjab to various testing laboratories were not placed before the Prime Minister in the meeting held on February 18 at his residence.

Tarsem Saini,president of the association,said the true picture of paddy PAU-201 was not presented and there is now an impasse.

The Centre,under pressure from the state government,has deputed teams afresh comprising officers from the Food and Public Distribution Department of the Union Food Ministry and the Food Corporation of India from New Delhi,who visited Punjab to collect samples of the said variety of rice in mid-January 2010.

Saini said that in all,75 samples were drawn from the state for analysis and 25 samples each were sent to the Central Labs at Pune,Ghaziabad and the Central Food Technology Research Institute (CFTRI) Mysore for analysis.

“During the meeting on February 18 at the PMO,the analysis results of the central labs of Pune and Ghaziabad were only discussed,whereas the results conveyed by the Central Food Technology Research Institute (CFTRI) Mysore were kept out of discussion,which implies that incomplete reports were placed before the PMO,” said the millers.

The association said that from the beginning of the kharif season 2009-10,the Union Government has been lingering over the issue.

The recommendations of the committee constituted by the Union Food Minister on the investigation of higher blackened grains in paddy variety PAU-201 issued by Indian Council of Agricultural Research,Ludhiana (ICAR) of November 4,2009,were ignored.

Saini said millers at Khanna have resolved to appeal to the state government to intervene and get the relaxation in the specification of acceptance of rice from PAU-201 variety paddy so as to facilitate the milling of rice out of paddy worth Rs 4300 crore.

The millers also sought a fresh joint analysis of the stored paddy. Millers say if this was not possible,then the auction of the central pool stocks should be done to prevent losses.