PANAJI
The official line that the Civil Supplies Department or any of its officials is involved or has any role in the alleged hoarding and black-marketing of foodgrains has been reiterated by Ravi Naik, the cabinet minister in charge of the portfolio.
According to Naik, food grain stock is received from the FCI supply chain by the department and distributed to the fair price shops under stringent monitoring, including the use of technology (biometrics).
"There is no scope for manipulation. The fair price shop owners lift their quota from department godowns. They either return the stock that is not sold to the beneficiaries or lift proportionately less stock for the next uptake cycle," Naik explained in a bid to suggest that the scope for manipulation or diversion of PDS food grain is negligible.
Naik said the department has little role or control over the situation after the stock is lifted by fair price shop owners from the godowns.
"If the grain is sold out and out when beneficiaries do not claim their quotas at the various fair price shops, then there is very little that the department can do or has powers to," Naik, a former chief minister, said.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant also gave the Civil Supplies department a clean chit in the matter.
"What is seized is not stock of food grain that is directly sold from Civil Supplies department godowns. The staff is not involved. It could be that fair price shop owners have diverted unsold stock to them," Sawant said, adding that inquiries are going on and that he would himself monitor it.
The Congress seeks a high-level inquiry headed by a retired High Court judge of not just the recent case of food grain pilferage but all procurements and distribution of food grains and commodities by the State government from 2020 onwards. The Congress will approach the Governor and seek his immediate intervention to order the probe," - Yuri Alemao, Opposition Leader
"Twenty-one tonnes of rice and wheat meant for the poor in Goa is being pilfered and sold in Karnataka. People have been apprehended but the kingpin is absconding. The Pramod Sawant government which talks about 'antyoday tatva' which is giving justice to the last man in the queue, is actually selling food grains meant for people below the poverty line of Goa to Karnataka," - Vijai Sardesai, Goa Forward Party chief
