Rajiv Rebukes Bulog After Unfit Food Aid Rice Distributed in Bangkalan
Member of Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), Rajiv, has expressed deep concern regarding findings of food aid rice deemed unfit for consumption in Bangkalan Regency, Madura, East Java. He lamented the incident, stating that food aid should serve as a manifestation of the state’s presence to protect the community, rather than causing distress among recipients and village officials.
“I am issuing a stern reprimand regarding this incident. Food aid is a right of the people that must be received in a decent, safe, and high-quality condition. There must be no tolerance for poor-quality aid rice, especially when it is deemed unfit for consumption,” Rajiv stated in a written briefing on Monday (8/6/2026).
He believes the incident in Bangkalan must be a serious concern for BULOG, the National Food Agency, local governments, and all parties involved in the storage and distribution chain of food aid. According to him, the issue cannot be resolved merely by replacing the rice; the root cause must be thoroughly investigated.
“Replacing the rice is mandatory and must be done immediately. However, that is not enough. There must be a total evaluation of warehouse conditions, storage processes, quality control, and distribution to the recipients. The underprivileged must not fall victim to weak supervision,” he said.
Rajiv also requested that the distribution of replacement rice to recipients in Bangkalan and throughout Indonesia be accelerated, without compromising quality inspection standards. He emphasised that recipients should not be disadvantaged or forced to wait excessively due to negligence in storage or distribution.
“I request that the distribution of replacement rice be expedited. The people’s rights must be fulfilled immediately. However, this acceleration must still be accompanied by strict quality checks to ensure the same problem does not recur,” said the NasDem Party legislator from the West Java II constituency.
Furthermore, he urged BULOG to immediately improve storage warehouses, particularly regarding cleanliness, humidity, ventilation, pest control, stock rotation systems, and inspection standards before rice leaves the warehouse.
“If the problem lies in the storage warehouses, then the warehouses must be repaired immediately. If the problem lies in supervision, then the SOPs and personnel must be evaluated. If negligence is proven, the local BULOG leadership must be held accountable,” he added.
He concluded that the Bangkalan incident should serve as a national lesson to prevent similar cases in other regions of Indonesia. Consequently, he called on BULOG and the National Food Agency to conduct a thorough quality audit of food aid in other areas, especially those currently receiving or scheduled to receive distributions. He emphasised that quality inspections must be conducted before aid is dispatched, rather than waiting for complaints from the public or village officials.