Bhubaneswar: Odisha Government asked Railways to compensate loss of damaged PDS sugar. This was informed by the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department Secretary Madhusudan Padhi in a letter to Railway Board Chairman Vinay Mittal.

Padhi asked the Ministry of Railways to compensate the loss amount to the Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation towards the damage to PDS sugar in transit due to leaking wagons. Padhi, in a letter to Railway Board Chairman Vinay Mittal drew his attention to the difficulties faced by the Odisha Government in lifting sugar meant for PDS in railway wagons. He also advised him to take steps to provide leak-proof wagons for transportation of levy sugar for utilisation under PDS and to avoid detention of rakes en-route.

The OSCSC had lifted stock of 2,613 mt of levy sugar as released by the Directorate of  Sugar, Government of India on June 18 from Manjra SSK Ltd, Maharashtra on pre-deposit of cost for utilisation under PDS. The stock was loaded in a full rake containing 42 wagons at Latur railway station, Maharashtra on July 16 and the rake arrived at Mancheswar on July 27.

During unloading of sugar at Mancheswar railway station, Bhubaneswar, official sources said, it was noticed that 2,691 bags of sugar weighing 1,345.5 quintals inside six wagons were drenched in rain water during transit due to leakage in these wagons.

Drawing attention of Mittal to the damage, Padhi said the stocks had become unfit for distribution under PDS and resulted in a loss which is irreparable. Decrying the irresponsibility on the part of the Railways, Padhi said the rake took 12 days to arrive at Mancheswar against the normal transit period of 4 to 5 days.

Stating that the rake was detained en-route for a long period causing damage of stock in rain water, Padhi said the matter had already been taken up with the Chief Claim Officer, East Coast Railways, Bhubaneswar to compensate the loss.