MARGAO
“Plastic rice or simply adulterate rice” is a subject matter of debate in Benaulim after a resident found abnormal quality of rice mixed with normal rice variety in the ration procured from a local fair price shop.
In fact, when Perpetua Gonsalves, a Benaulim resident found to her shock and surprise that the ration rice she cooked differed from the normal one consumed by her and her family, she smelt a rat.
She was immediately on the job to find out the reason in her own way, only to later realize that abnormal rice grains were found mixed with the rice supplied by the fair price shop.
“The cooked rice appeared in a mesh form different from the normal rice we consume. After I segregated the abnormal rice, I put fire to the grains just to find out whether it is plastic rice or not and the rice dissolved. When it was put in water, it was found floating”, she told the media, before bringing the unusual situation to the notice of Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas.
The Benaulim MLA called officials of the Civil Supplies department to his office on Monday to explain the quality of the rice found in the ration. Since the officials could not offer any comment whether the rice is plastic or adulterated, the Benaulim MLA told them to get the rice tested in the laboratory to get to the source of the problem.
Later briefing media, Venzy slammed the mixture of unusual rice grains in the ration provided by the fair price shop, saying the grains are akin to plastic rice. Demanding a Vigilance probe, he sought to know the source of corruption, whether the missing of the adulterated rice takes place before the food grain quota is received at Cortalim or afterwards.
He has also demanded that Civil Supplies Minister come out with a clarification on the quality of rice, saying the Minister cannot feign ignorance every time people complain of poor quality.
Armed with a candle, the MLA burnt a few grains in front of the Civil supplies officials, claiming the grains have all melted indicating the presence of plastic. When Venzy put the assorted grains in water, they were all found floating, again throwing up questions over the quality of rice supplied to fair price shops.
Saying that consumption of poor quality rice can result in many diseases, Venzy said “it is not the question of the rice infested with worms, but plastic. There needs to be a detailed probe into the episode to find out why the rice is floating in water and why it looked like meshed rice”.
Saying the BJP government is fooling the people by promising free rice to the BPL families, Venzy said the government should immediately stop the supply of substandard rice. “Find out the place where the adulterated rice is mixed. This is corruption. Let the Vigilance find out the source of corruption and the beneficiaries”, he demanded.
