Jaipur:
Jaipur's main FCI godown should be full of food grains, but these days much of it is being used to store liquor. While food grains rot in the open, liqour fills up much of this godown.
Over 13 thousand square feet area here is on rent to the Rajasthan Breweries Corporation for the past three years.
Senior officials are now mum, but junior employees admit this is terrible for food grains here.
"Food grains can be damaged here. If we have any rain now, there's no chance of our food grains being saved," said Nathu Lal, junior employee, FCI godown, Jaipur.
Strangely, this godown currently has two thousand metric tonnes of food grains more than its total capacity. Despite being in power for the past 15 months, the Gehlot government did little to rectify this situation. But after the issue rocked the State Assembly, it seems to be waking up from its slumber.
"I have asked the FCI to give me in writing what efforts have been made to get this godown vacated. If I find that they have been negligent, I will write to the Central Government to take action against guilty officials," said Baby Lal Nagar, Food Minister, Rajasthan.
The godown gets the FCI a monthly rent of Rs 90 thousand, but that's meant a loss of space that could have stored over 25 thousand quintals of grain.
At a time when most of Rajasthan is battling against drought, for countless people in the state every grain of food is precious. But it's a cruel irony that for the FCI here, its saving liqour rather than food grains that seems to be a priority.