JAGATSINGHPUR: A racket of the Civil Supply officials involved in stocking huge quantity of substandard rice has been unearthed by the district administration at Taradapada godown on Thursday.
Sources said the racket, with the involvement of Civil Supply officials and millers, supplied insect-eaten and poor quality rice for public distribution under PDS. In the past, locals had lodged several complaints regarding the poor quality of rice but higher officials of Civil Supplies department turned a deaf ear to their pleas.
One Maitree Rice Miller from Tirtol stored nearly 25,000 quintals of substandard rice at Taradapada godown and also issued a copy of acceptance to the miller concerned without checking its quality though there is a provision to do so.
On a tip off, Collector Yamini Sarangi asked Sub- Collector Narahari Sethy to unearth the racket following which he verified the rice and other documents and submitted a detailed report to the administration on Friday. It was found that the registers regarding measurement and weighing of PDS commodities were not maintained properly.
Local millers procure paddy through Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation (OSCSC) and deliver it after milling at the godowns of OSCSC.
Nearly `2.7 crore is pending on these millers who have cheated OSCSC to pay this amount in which certificate cases have been initiated against errant millers.
The role of procurement inspector and quality analyst is also under the scanner.
District Civil Supply Officer Raghunath Gamango confessed that the stock at Taradapda godown was poor quality in but exact quantity is yet to be ascertained.