SC stays HC order for take back on demand

The Supreme Court yesterday stayed till July 26 the High Court verdict that directed the government to take back the wheat imported from Brazil from a department or organisation if they want to return the grain, considering it to be unfit for consumption.Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the order after hearing a petition filed by Attorney General Mahbubey Alam seeking a stay on the HC judgment.

The judge also sent the petition to the Appellate Division's full bench for its hearing on July 26.

Following a writ petition, the HC on July 8 delivered the verdict also asking the government not to compel anyone to receive the imported wheat if he is unwilling to do so.

According to media reports, the Directorate General of Food bought 2 lakh tonnes of substandard Brazilian wheat early this year.

Sources said the food office has already distributed over 1.5 lakh tonnes of the wheat for the government's safety net schemes -- including Food for Work, Test Relief -- and also as ration for police.

Police complained of low quality grains, prompting the food ministry to collect samples from district warehouses for testing, said ministry officials earlier.

After testing some samples of the wheat in its own laboratories last month, the food ministry claimed that the grain was "fit for human consumption" and its quality "conforms to the contract specifications."