From Our Correspondent
TURA, Oct 16: Following reports highlighting various issues faced by labourers and truckers engaged in the loading and unloading of rice under the Public Distribution System (PDS) at Mendipathar Railway Station, the General Manager of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has issued a rebuttal denying all allegations made.
Earlier, a local civil society organisation, Achik Dedicated Integrity Leaders (ADIL), had written to the Centre regarding these issues, while several PDS wholesalers lodged complaints with the deputy commissioners of the four districts catered to by the Mendipathar Railway Station. These included East, West and South Garo Hills, as well as West Khasi Hills. The complaints were primarily against the contractors appointed by the FCI to clear rakes and supply rice to various district godowns.
The FCI, in its release, strongly and emphatically repudiated the allegations, terming them “fatuous, frivolous, detrimental and derogatory.”
According to the release, as of October 14, 100 per cent of the PDS stock for September 2025 had been cleared, while 95 per cent of the October allocation had also been completed, with the remaining expected to be cleared by next week.
“Moreover, lifting against the monthly allocation for November 2025 has also started, wherein almost 40% of the total PDS allocations have been issued to the State Government,” the FCI stated.
The release further clarified that contractors had reported pending remuneration for labourers and truckers only up to the recent month and that workers are paid on a monthly basis.
“Further, labour strikes and industrial disputes are nothing new in the system. However, utmost efforts are made to mitigate all grievances of stakeholders in a timely manner. Reference may also be drawn from the strike called in Garo Hills for the 16th and 17th of this month, which is probably due to some grievances pending with certain stakeholders in the local area. As of today, uninterrupted operations are going on in all FCI establishments in Meghalaya State,” the release stated.
The FCI also countered claims by wholesalers that they were incurring heavy financial losses due to their trucks being stranded at Mendipathar Railway Station, while calling the allegations illogical. “PDS wholesalers have no role in operations at the railhead. The primary responsibility at any railhead involving FCI rakes lies with FCI, FCI-appointed contractors and the Railways.
This allegation, along with all others, is refuted,” the release added.
However, when contacted, a PDS wholesaler claimed that the contractors were responsible for the operational mess.
“After loading trucks with PDS rice, they fail to provide diesel for the journey to various destinations, which keeps our trucks stranded. Moreover, even after these trucks reach the FCI depots, if a labour strike occurs, it hampers our work in distribution and causes financial losses,” said the wholesaler on condition of anonymity.
