Paddy procurement fraud: 1704 quintal of paddy worth `53 lakh seized in Bilaspur

A physical verification of paddy procurement centres is underway to curb malpractices and uphold transparency in paddy procurement, leading to significant discoveries. Over the past three days, inspections of more than a dozen centres revealed discrepancies in five centres where 1,704 quintals of excess paddy were found compared to the quantities recorded online. The seized paddy, valued at Rs 52.84 lakh, was confiscated, and cases were filed against the centre in-charges.

The operation, carried out under the directive of Collector Avneesh Sharan, involves teams from the Revenue, Food, and Cooperative Departments. The action will continue until the end of the paddy procurement season.During verification by the tehsildar and Food Department at Bodri procurement centre of Bilaspur district, all paddy bags were counted and randomly weighed. A discrepancy of 240 quintals was noted between the physical stock and the online records. The excess stock was seized, and cases were filed against the committee members.

Similar verification procedures revealed an excess of 681 quintals of paddy at Ganiyari procurement centre. The stock was seized, and legal action was initiated against the responsible society members.Physical verification at Son procurement centre revealed an excess of 500 quintals. The stock was seized, and cases were filed against the officials involved.

The inspection at Kaudia procurement centre revealed 230 quintals of unaccounted paddy. The stock was confiscated, and legal proceedings were initiated. A discrepancy of 762.6 quintals was uncovered at Bodasara procurement centre. The excess paddy was seized, and cases were filed against the responsible officials.

District Food Officer Anurag Bhadauria emphasized that the inspections involved thorough stock counts and random weight checks. Any discrepancies between physical stock and online records were dealt with strictly, ensuring accountability at all levels.

This article has been republished from The Times of India.