Wheat procured by Punsup rots in Malout

Wheat procured by Punsup rots

The damaged wheat in Malout on Tuesday. Tribune photo

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Malout, October 6

Tonnes of wheat procured and stored by PUNSUP in its godowns is rotting in open in Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s home district Muktsar due to poor upkeep and lack of proper storage facilities. Now, the PUNSUP authorities, declaring it damaged and unfit for human consumption, have decided to auction it.

During a visit to the two open godowns today on the Dabwali-Dhabh road here, a huge stock of wheat procured by the PUNSUP in 2010-11 and 2011-12 was found getting infested. It was found that not just the bags of wheat were in poor condition, but the granules too had turned black and are being eaten up by birds and insects.

Some labourers there informed that the rainwater had caused damage to the wheat because many a time the bags of wheat were left uncovered. In the past, the ration depot holders in the Gidderbaha subdivision had refused to procure wheat from the PUNSUP, alleging that the agency was supplying them sub-standard wheat.

Courtesy: The Tribune