MPs surplus wheat headed for Kabul

While the state government accused the Food Corporation of India FCI for not lifting the surplus quota,the FCI said it was the states responsibility to store it till it was transported elsewhere.

It was in the midst of the buck-passing that the FCI in a recent meeting at its headquarters formalised the idea to send surplus wheat to Afghanistan and the state was quick to accept it.

Wheat procured from Gujarat was the original choice because that would have saved a lot on transportation cost but the decision was in MPs favour because of its better quality wheat and the surplus stock.

We did not want to take a chance with the quality because the consignment was to pass through Pakistan, an FCI source told The Indian Express. Gujarat will now contribute only 7,000 MT towards the promise of sending one lakh MT wheat.

In a weeks time wheat collected from Raisen,Sehore,Harda,Hoshangabad,Seoni,Jabalpur and Katni districts will be sent to Kandla Port. From there it will go to Karachi and from there by road to Kabul.

FCIs AGM commercial D K Shukla said the state was conveyed the decision four days ago.

MPs Food and Civil Supplies Commissioner Ajit Kesari said the sacks would have to be stitched by machines to meet export requirement.