JHARSUGUDA:Collector Bibhuti Bhusan Patnaik has suspended Assistant Civil Supplies Officer (ACSO) Sandeep Guru and Senior Accountant of Civil Supply Office Chintamani Naik for their involvement in the PDS rice scam.
Speaking to mediapersons on Tuesday, the Collector said as per directions of the Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd (OSCSC), the officials have been suspended with immediate effect for large-scale irregularities in paddy procurement and supply of rice in the district.
Sources said Bajrangbali Rice Mill had received 79,388 quintals of paddy to supply 53,984 quintals of Custom Milled Rice to the Food Supplies Department last year. But the miller supplied only 19,409 quintals of rice and its proprietor Dillip Agrawal locked up the mill and absconded. Similarly, Pintu Rice Mill at Malidihi, Laxmi Rice, Starched Rice Mill and Maruti Food Products had also not supplied required custom milled rice to the Government. The department had filed FIRs against these millers at the police stations concerned and later Vigilance department lodged a case against Maruti Food for its large-scale irregularities in supplying rice.
While the district civil supply office had estimated around `27.92 lakh due pending against the Maruti Food Products, a special audit conducted by the department found a loss of `47.09 lakh loss. Later, it was also found that a bank guarantee of `1.1 crore submitted by Bajrangbali Rice Mill appeared to be fake. Sources also confirmed that `8.2 crore has been misappropriated by Bajrangbali Rice Mill. The accountant and ACSO of the district civil supply office were directly involved in the transactions.
Meanwhile, the managing director of OSCSC on Wednesday recommended suspension of Jharsuguda CSO to the Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the department.