Ganjam: Ganjam Collector Thursday directed the district civil supplies officer (CSO) to conduct a probe into the alleged distribution of plastic rice to ration card holders at Puintola and submit a report.
District Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange issued the order after reports surfaced regarding alleged distribution of plastic rice to the beneficiaries under ward no-8 of the NAC area.
Acting on the order, the CSO directed the Ganjam block marketing inspector (MI), Santosh Das, to conduct a probe into the allegations within next two days and submit the report.
Accordingly, MI Das visited Puintola Thursday and enquired about the plastic rice from the retailer. Das also collected the samples of the rice and sent them to the laboratory for examination.
The alleged plastic rice is slightly bigger in shape than the normal rice and tastes like a rubber when chewed, some beneficiaries have alleged. However, MI Das is of different opinion.
He said that the alleged plastic rice might be enriched with vitamins which are being distributed in KBK districts. However, the truth will come out once the laboratory examination report is available to them.
Notably, the Re 1-kg rice scheme has been launched for people living below poverty line (BPL) as well as scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, differently-abled and beneficiaries of the Antyodaya scheme in the state.
However, distribution of substandard rice to the beneficiaries has told upon their health for which they have demanded the district Collector’s intervention.
PNN