CHANDIGARH: At a time when the Centre is planning to provide foodgrain to BPL families at subsidised rates through the Food Security Act, over 24,000 tonnes of wheat have got damaged in Punjab due to poor handling at the godowns.

Over 7,600 tonnes of wheat of 2008-09 year and 5,245 tonnes of wheat of crop year 2007-08 lying at PUNGRAIN’s storage at Rampura Phul in Bathinda district, and about 5,867 tonnes of wheat of 2006-07 crop year kept at Chabal in Tarn Taran have been damaged. Besides, 5,215 tonnes of crop procured by PAFC have also got rotten.
Experts blame a number of factors, including storing crop in an unscientific way, snail-paced movement of foodgrain out of the state, acute shortage of covered space for storing crop, for the damage of wheat.
State-owned lifting agency Punjab State Grains Procurement Corporation (PUNGRAIN) has invited tenders for the disposal of 24,011 MT of damaged wheat which is now unfit for human consumption. According to an official, the damaged wheat is mainly used in making cattle feed or fertiliser.