Low quality Indian rice stored in two Kishoreganj silos

Additional Deputy Commi-ssioner (general) of Kishoreganj Tapan Chandra Banik on Tuesday visited the two food godowns and inspected the stored rice following an order by Deputy Commissioner Eusuf Hossain.

He also collected samples of rice from the two godowns. District Food Controller AKM Fazlur Rahman, and local food officials were also present during the visit.

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The DC earlier formed a one-member committee headed by the ADC to probe the allegations.

Later talking to newsmen the ADC said the moisture content in the rice was 15.10 against approved 14. He said he will submit a report to the authorities concerned soon.

Earlier, it was gathered from Hossainpur upazilla food officials that that till June 12, 34 tonnes of rice were purchased from local farmers and 159 tonnes were 'sent from the District Food Controller's (DFC) office'. The rice sent from the DFC's office was of yellowish colour.

When contacted, Hossainpur Upazilla Food Officer Khurshed Alam declined to make any comment. The District Food Controller is the appropriate man to talk about the matter, he said.

The condition of 146 tonnes of rice sent from the district food controllers office and stored at Pakundia upazilla food godown is also the same. Its moisture content is 15 per cent. Upazila food official Abdul Hakim said that their target was to procure 736 tonnes of ice. They purchased 322 tonnes from farmers, he said.