Corrupt rice mill workers suspended

The Statesman, July 30, 2009

;Statesman News Service
BHAWANIPATNA, 29 JULY: Two supply inspectors who were in charge of paddy procurement as purchasing officers for Junagarh and Jaipatna blocks in Kalahandi district have been suspended. A special audit has been initiated, sources said, adding that the action followed the report and recommendations of a squad.
The squad conducted an investigation in Kalampur, Junagarh and Jaipatna blocks on the matter of Rabi (Dalua) paddy procurement for the 2009 season, conducted field enquiry in June 2009, and submitted its report to the government.
The squad conducted field verification at Kalampur, Junagarh and Jaipatna blocks, interacted with affected farmers, verified different records and registers with purchasing officers, and also inspected about five rice mills to arrive at their conclusions, sources said.

The report says that vendors receipts, acceptance notes, paddy purchase registers, and paddy delivery registers in the purchase centres, on verification, were found to be improperly maintained and not up to date.

Verification checks carried out by the squad also exposed many erroneous entries. There were false entries and signatures of farmers missing from the purchase registers, the report says.

During field enquiries, farmers alleged before the squad that millers were purchasing paddy through middle men and paddy purchasing centres were inoperative. During the verification of stocks and records at the five rice mills, excess paddy was found, unaccounted for in the stock registers, and without acceptance notes from the concerned purchase officers.
Farmers allege that this revelation is only the tip of the ice burg, and, hence, there is need for enquiries into the conduct of all rice mills in the district.