BHUBANESWAR: The State Government, on Friday, approved the proposal of Food Suplies and Consumer Welfare department for disciplinary action against five of its officials of Khurda district for showing undue favour to a private rice miller.Action was taken against the five officials for allowing the miller to lift paddy more than its milling capacity and not initiating action against the miller who failed to deposit security money and not returning the rice to the Government.
The miller had caused a loss of more than `3.41 crore to the state exchequer. The State suffered a loss of `3,41,8,344 as the miller, Kalinga Agriculture Private Ltd, did not return 15,765.55 quintal of rice to the government during 2012-13 Kharif marketing season. The department proposal for action against the five officers was approved by Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister SN Patro.
As per disciplinary action, `1,34,2,705 equivalent to 35 per cent of the total loss will be realised to the State exchequer from the then Civil Supply officer Amar Mohapatra, `80,73,361 or 25 per cent of loss from Assistant Civil Supply Officer Abhimanyu Mohanty, `75,58,689 or 20 per cent of the loss from District Civil Supply Officer (Retd) Sarat Chandra Das.
The department’s proposal to realise `32,29,344 or 10 per cent of the loss each from District Civil Supply Officer Sudhakar Pradhan and Marketing Inspector Bibekananda Mohanty was also approved. Patro has directed to stop two increments of Amar Mohapatra and Abhimanyu Mohanty and one increment of Sudhakar Pradhan and Bibekananda Mohanty with cumulative effect.