A video has surfaced, purportedly claiming that rice was being mixed with plastic granules in a rice godown located at Naharbari. Upon being alerted, district administration, police and food and civil supplies officials under Dimapur, went to the godown and took samples of the rice granule and milled rice. The godown has also been sealed and suspects also questioned. The sample(s) of the mixture have been sent for laboratory analysis to ascertain whether the mixture contained plastic granules and rice.
Meanwhile, speaking to this Reporter, EAC Chumoukedima, Seyiekhreito Solo who had also gone to the godown said the Food Safety & Standard Authority officials collected the samples which were sent for lab analysis. He said it was not possible to speculate or presume whether the allegations of adulteration as made by an individual in the video was true or not. He said the matter was being taken up by the police for further action.
Commissioner of Police (CP) Dimapur Rothihu Tetseo told this Reporter, that investigation was on and that until the laboratory results were out, it was not proper to jump to any conclusion. CP also appealed to all not to believe everything that is being uploaded on social media merely on hearsay. The CP opined that the chances that plastic granule and rice were being mixed as alleged by an individual on social media, was highly unlikely since milling plastic would require totally different and complex machines.
CP however admitted that there was more likelihood of adulteration by done by mixing low quality with high quality rice for making profits. He also said police is also probing the individual who made the allegation. Tetseo also said, if the laboratory test proved negative, police will look into the motive of the individual for spreading false information.
Meanwhile, sources said that the alleged plastic rice– on the video, looked similar to fortified rice, supplied under Mid-Day Meal scheme. Fortifying rice involves grinding broken rice into powder, mixing it with micronutrients like– vitamin B12, iron and folic acid etc, and then shaping it into rice-like kernels using an extrusion process. However, only the lab test result will ascertain the facts, sources added.