Date:22/11/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/22/stories/2006112211470400.htm

Kerala

Thousands of imported wheat bags missing

S. Vijay Kumar

MADURAI: Thousands of imported wheat bags transported from the Tuticorin harbour to Food Corporation of India (FCI) warehouses in Kerala and Karnataka are missing.

Top FCI sources told The Hindu that shiploads of wheat imported from Australia and Russia were unloaded at the Tuticorin harbour and moved to FCI warehouses by rail and road transport during the last three months.

Senior Regional Managers in both States have lodged a complaint with the Executive Director (South) that at least 25,000 bags were missing. FCI officials have launched an investigation. Senior officials in the Madurai Division of Southern Railway said there was no complaint against them with regard to shortage of wheat loaded on to goods trains.

Permit cancelled

At Tuticorin, the Port officials on Tuesday reportedly cancelled the permit of a `Steve Doring' contractor who unloaded, standardised and loaded the wheat to FCI destinations. Russian Ship `Wick Wing', with 40,000 tonnes of wheat, was anchored outside without berthing at the port, the sources said.

An agreement to import five lakh tonnes of wheat from Australia was signed recently.