Mites in pigeon peas spark row at Godhra too

Vadodara: Mites in pigeon peas stored at a godown in Godhra has sparked a controversy on Tuesday as the incident came to light close on the heels of the incident of a similar incident at Bodeli on Monday. Officials, however, claimed that only some bags may have be affected by the pests.
The godown located at the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) yard in Godhra is in the possession of the Gujarat State Warehouse Corporation. The stock stored at the godown belonged National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India.

Manager of the godown Amanullah Pathan said that only 75 tonnes of material was stored in the godown presently. “We had a stock of 327 tonnes, but most of it has been dispatched. We are taking precautions to ensure that the stock does not get spoilt,” said Pathan. Sources said that repellents had been used in the godown to ensure that pests do not eat into the chick peas.

At Bodeli, the district administration had swung into action in wake of the reports and a team was sent to examine the stock of pigeon peas kept at the godown. The district administration had concluded that only a very few bags of the stock were spoilt while the rest were in good condition. The issue had also taken a political turn with the BJP and Congress trading allegations.