Voice of Rice Millers Raises Voice Against Rice Irregularities

The rice stored in warehouses that the general public is consuming is no less than poison. According to scientists, storing rice for more than 6 months requires repeated pesticide sprays, which not only degrades its nutritional value but also makes it act as poison when consumed. Pramod Kumar Modi, Convener of the ‘Voice of Rice Millers’, stated that their organization has taken on the responsibility to ensure that neither the nutritional value nor people’s health is compromised.

Pramod Kumar Modi from ‘Voice of Rice’ stated that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) is violating the basic ‘First In, First Out’ rule due to irregularities, leading to the spoilage of rice worth billions of rupees. At the same time, millions of poor people are forced to consume rice heavily laden with pesticides over several years. Earlier, rice that was stored first in the FCI warehouses was dispatched to other states on a priority basis. However, due to recent policy changes, this rule is being ignored. While lakhs of tonnes of rice from 2023–24 lie in warehouses—requiring daily sprays of toxic pesticides to preserve—rice from 2024–25 and 2025–26 is being dispatched instead.

As a result, the old rice stored in the warehouses will no longer remain fit for human consumption. The brunt of this is borne by poor people who rely on rice distributed through the Public Distribution System (PDS). The Food Corporation of India must dispatch rice strictly on a ‘First In, First Out’ basis so that India’s poor can be saved from consuming pesticide-heavy rice. Otherwise, alongside losses running into billions of rupees, the health of the poor will continue to be compromised.

Pramod Kumar Modi said that ‘Voice of Rice Millers’ was formed in the interest of the public and is launching a campaign for public welfare so that the dream of a healthy society can be fulfilled.