Press Trust of India
Koraput, Sept 1: Alleged irregularities have been detected in procurement of paddy by large areamulti-purpose cooperative societies (LAMPS) during the rabi marketing season (RMS) in Koraput district.
Smelling foul play, the administration ordered a probe and found that 62,000 quintal and 10,000 quintal paddy were procurred by the LAMPS at Umuri and Kundura respectively June 30, the last day of procuring paddy at mandis.
Paddy procurement from a single mandi a day had been capped at 4,000 quintal, officials said. Moreover, to transport 72,000 quintal of paddy, around 960 trucks are required and if it took five minutes for each vehicle in preparing transit pass then it came to around 80 hours, they said.
“It raised eyebrows as how on a single day it was possible,” said an official of the civil supplies department. The administration’s suspicion grew as no vendor receipt was maintained by the procuring agencies (LAMPS) at the time of collecting paddy from the farmers.
“Through vendor receipts we could have cross-checked with the farmers whether they had sold paddy at the mandi or not,” Koraput district Collector Jaya Kumar V said. “June 30 was Tuesday and on this day mandi doesn’t operate. Mandis are open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. So, who ordered them to open mandis on Tuesday is under investigation. Once our inquiry is complete, we will recommend to the government for action against the offenders,” the collector said.
“We had sought the registration numbers of the vehicles in which the paddy was transported to mills from mandis after being procured by the LAMPS. During inquiry it was found that most of the vehicle numbers were either of two-wheelers or small cars,” said the collector.
It is not possible to transport 72,000 quintal paddy in two-wheelers and small cars, said an officer.
Citing a few examples, officials said in records it has been shown that 100 quintal of paddy was transported from Umuri LAMPS to a rice mill in a vehicle bearing registration number of a scooter.
Similarly, 100 quintal of paddy each were transported from Umuri LAMPS to a rice mill through vehicles bearing registration numbers of a car and a motorcycle, they said.
Also, 100 quintal of paddy was transported in a vehicle having a particular registration number. But during inquiry it was found that no vehicle exists with such registration number, they said.
The administration then deduced that in reality no paddy was brought to the mandis June 30 and entries might have been made by the officials concerned in connivance with a few millers to favour the latter.
