Cuttack: The civil supplies department has threatened to order an enforcement directorate (ED) probe against millers who did not return rice after taking paddy from the government.
The civil supplies department has asked the defaulting millers to return the rice by December-end. Sources said the government has not yet receives rice worth `100 crore from millers for the 2016-17 kharif marketing season.
Apart from that, many millers have failed to deposit their earlier rice dues with the civil supplies department. “The government has decided to take action against defaulting millers. Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Surya Narayan Patro has asked officials to confiscate the assets of defaulting millers,” said an official of the civil supplies department.
It is learnt that officials of the civil supplies department have raided several defaulting rice mills in the state. Sources said five millers of Cuttack district have failed to deposit rice worth Rs 15 crore with the civil supplies department in 2009-10 and 2013-14 financial years.
PNN
