Gujarat: Tur dal stock inspection begins after adulteration complaints

The state government on Sunday began inspection of the tur dal stock stored at a marketing yard in Visavadar in Junagadh district following complaints of adulteration.

The development comes three days after seven persons were booked after tur dal stocked in a warehouse in Keshod town of Junagadh was found to be adulterated.

The Congress MLA from Visavadar had alleged on Saturday that tur dal procured by the Gujarat State Civil Supplies Corporation on behalf of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) was adulterated. He had also conducted a janta raid at a yard, and later held a protest at the district collectorate demanding action.

On Sunday, a team of the Corporation along with experts and graders, began inspection of the stock.

"We are investigating the allegations. Eighteen thousand bags of tur dal lying at Visavadar will be checked to ascertain quality of the stock. The process will take 2-3 days," Manish Bhardwaj, MD of Gujarat State Civil Supplies Corporation, said.

Procurement of tur dal was completed by the Corporation on April 14, and the stocks were in the process of being sent to designated warehouses, when the irregularities in procurement in Keshod came to light.

Ribadiya alleged that the dal stock was mixed with pebbles and other material.

"Only 10 per cent of what was inside the sack was tur dal, while the rest was objects used for cattle feed. We demand that a thorough investigation be carried out across warehouses in Saurashtra," he said.

The tur dal stock in Visavadar was meant to be transported to warehouses in Gondal taluka, but this would be done only after the inspection is complete.