FATEHGARH SAHIB: Punjab Rice Millers’ Association has decried the Union Government’s move to accept PAU-201 variety stating that not all facts were considered while taking the decision.
As per association president Tarsem Saini, the Union Government has teams to Punjab comprising officers from food and public’ distribution department, ministry concerned and Rood Corporation of India to collect samples of the said variety of rice in mid-January.
He said in all 75 samples were drawn from the state for analysis. Of these 25 samples each were sent to Central Labs at Pune, Ghaziabad and Central Food Technology Research Institute, Mysore, for analysis.
“During a meeting held in the Prime Minister’s Office on February 18, which was attended by the state as well central officials, only results from Pune and Ghaziabad labs were discussed, whereas the results conveyed by the Mysore institute were kept out of discussion,” Saini said.
This implies that incomplete reports were placed before the PMO, he said.
During the discussions, the procurement specifications of the FCI, as per which damage beyond 3 per cent fall under rejection limit were also not taken up, he claimed.
SOURCE-HT
