BATHINDA: Two procurement agencies of Punjab have started the process of disposing damaged wheat stacked in the open on plinths across the state. Punjab Agro Foodgrains Corporation ( PAFC ) and Markfed have already floated tenders for auction of 1.93 lakh tonnes of the foodgrain, which is not fit for human consumption.

This wheat was procured during 2009-10 to 2012-13. Market value of the stock to be disposed of as per current minimum support price works out to be Rs 294 crore, but it is expected to fetch less than one-third of the amount.

The MSP for 2008-09 was Rs 1,000 per quintal, in 2009-10 Rs 1,080, in 2010-11 Rs 1,100, in 2011-12 Rs 1,120 and in 2012-13 Rs 1,285. Sources said most of the wheat to be disposed of is only fit for industrial use or manure dumping. Wheat under the category of manure dumping fetches only 10% of the MSP.

In November, TOI had highlighted how wheat stacked in the open plinths near Rampura and Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda was rotting and foul smell emanating from it was causing problems to people living nearby. Now, PAFC has floated tenders to auction 1.46 lakh tonne wheat for the 2008-09 to 2012-13 period. Tenders will be opened on December 22. Markfed has floated tenders to auction 46,597 tonnes and the bids will be opened on December 14.

"Wheat is being allowed to rot, causing huge losses to state exchequer due to absence of scientific storage facilities. Every year during harvesting time, problem of storage crops up. Apart from that laxity of officials is also responsible for wheat wastage. Money lost by the state government should be recovered from the persons responsible for it," said Narain Dutt, president of Inquilabi Kendra Punjab. Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri said wheat should have been distributed among poor before it was allowed to rot.

PAFC managing director Kahan Singh Pannu told TOI, "As the wheat is damaged to the extent that it is not fit for human consumption, we got permission from the Union government to auction it. The state government will look into fixing responsibility to recover the losses. The rotten wheat is expected to be sold at nearly one-third of the current MSP."