In a bid to check food-grains quality under Public Distribution System (PDS) system, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution have established Central Grain Analysis Laboratory (CGAL) in Krishi Bhawan. The lab will be equipped with amenities for physical and chemical analysis of wheat and rice’s samples, which will be collected from various places like procurement centers, FCI stores and fair price shops.
While inaugurating the laboratory, Food Minister KV Thomas said ‘random periodical check-up will be carried out by the lab to ensure that food-grains being procured and distributed under PDS are of good quality.’ By adding further he said, the government is very conscious about the quality of PDS food-grains hence it has directed its technical staff in the field to ensure that at each stage from procurement to storage and distribution, quality should be maintained.
Further, the quality monitoring cells has also been established at Bangalore, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow and Pune to examine food storage depots of FCI, CWC, State Government and other procurement storage agencies and fare-price shops. These cells take up the samples of foodgrains to analysis at CGAL in New Delhi.
Meanwhile, the ministry officials has been told to investigate immediately after receiving grievances relating to quality of food-grains during procurement, storage and distribution received from NGOs, local representatives, state governments and consumers.