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More than 600 quintals of rice is rotting in railway godowns here in Orissa as the authorities have failed to store it in cold storage and refuse to take responsibility for the damage. Talking to mediapersons, civil supply officer, Nilkantha Mohanty said that the stock belonged to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and was lying unattended in the railway godowns. "This rice is not related to the Orissa state civil supply corporation. It belongs to the FCI and is lying in the godowns since very long. The rice was brought from various districts of the state and is lying unattended in godowns," Mohanty said. The authorities of the Civil Supplies Department and the FCI were blaming the Railways for the loss. Social activist, Suresh Mohapatra urged authorities to end the blame game and ensure measures to control the damage. "Since December 2011, 600 quintal of rice grains is lying inside the Railway godown. People have looted a large quantity of the rice from the godown but the FCI, Railways and the local authorities are not ready to take responsibility. People are dying of hunger in Cuttack but the concerned officials are least bothered. The 600 quintal grains have now rotten or have been looted by the people," said Mohapatra.

As authorities pass the buck, foodgrains rot