MP: Instead Of Getting White In Mills, Paddy Going To Black Market

The paddy, supplied to the rice millers, is being sold in the black market, but the officials concerned are barely paying any heed to it.  The State Marketing Association is supplying paddy procured on minimum support price (MSP) to the rice millers in the district through an order.

Three trucks of paddy were sent to a rice miller in Chhindwara according to a release order on August 17. The paddy was stored in godown number 22 in Dharmik Warehouse in Tumadi. The cost of the paddy was Rs 5 lakh.

A police team, patrolling the Mehndiwada area, caught two trucks near a rice mill. The policemen were told that instead of being taken to the rice mill for which the trucks were destined to, both the trucks were being sent to another rice miller.

On the grounds of the statement, the police parked the trucks on the premises of Waraseoni police station. Sub-divisional officer of Waraseoni, Rajiv Ranjan Pandey, said that both the trucks had been filled with paddy supplied by the government. The trucks were to be taken to Chhindwara, but they were going towards Mehendiwada.  Because the paddy belonged to the government, the marketing officer has been asked to probe the case, Pandey said, adding that as long as the inquiry will continue, the trucks will remain on the police station premises.

Meanwhile, the inspector of Mandi Samiti took five-time more Mandi tax from the truck drivers. The Mandi inspector also gave receipts to the truck drivers. The policemen caught the trucks, but let them go on the basis of the receipts. A truck, carrying more than 200 bags of paddy, was to go to Chhindwara, but nobody knows where it has gone. As there are no concrete provisions, the police are not able to stop black marketing of paddy, Pandey said, adding that the collector has been informed about it.

This article has been republished from The Free Press Journal.