Residents of Muktsar village refuse to accept ‘rotten’ wheat

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, December 17

The beneficiaries of the Atta-Dal Scheme of the state government today refused “rotten” wheat being distributed by the officials of the Department of Food and Supplies at Tharajwala village in the Lambi Assembly segment.

The beneficiaries alleged the quality of wheat was poor and unfit for consumption.

Natha Singh and Gurmel Singh, residents of Tharajwala village, said, “A large number of people today refused to get the subsidised wheat. Initially, the officials did not agree that the wheat was rotten, but we remained adamant and they had to leave.”

Moti Ram, husband of the village sarpanch, said, “I was not in the village but came to know that the wheat being distributed among the beneficiaries was black in colour. Even the wheat distributed two days ago had high moisture content.”

Similar reports have come from other areas in the past too. The State Food and Drug Laboratory had also found that the wheat and flour samples collected from Faridkot district were unfit for consumption.’

Mandeep Kaur, Gidderbaha SDM, said, “Nobody has so far lodged a complaint in this regard. If somebody comes to us, the quality of wheat will be checked. If the wheat is found unfit for consumption, action will be taken against the guilty.”