Kaithal Deputy Commissioner formed teams to probe bogus procurement

Kaithal, January 16

The physical verification conducted by 17 teams constituted by Deputy Commissioner Sangeeta Tetarwal found that 2630.82 quintals of paddy was short in the stock of 35 rice mills in Kaithal district. The teams were constituted after reports appeared in the media that there were bogus procurement of paddy on fake gate passes and the paddy was arriving from other states.

These teams conducted physical verification in November and December at 165 mills of the district. The team members also verified the stock available in the mills with the issuance of paddy by the procurement agencies along with the quality of custom-milled rice (CMR).

“I have constituted 17 teams to conduct physical verification. The teams will check the stock of the paddy and the custom-milled rice along with the quality of rice. The team members conducted physical verification and we have submitted our report to the Director, Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department. Further action will be initiated after the directions from the department,” said Sangeeta Tetarwal, DC, Kaithal.

“We have allocated 82,40,812.560 quintals of paddy to 165 mills. The team members found 2,630.82 quintals of paddy short in the stock. As much as 14.61 quintals of rice was found short in the stock,” she added.

District Food and Supply Controller Pardeep Kaushik said millers had to return 45 per cent of custom-milled rice by the end of January, of which they had delivered around 31 per cent so far.