ROURKELA: Exposure of the PDS rice irregularities led to a slew of action that included suspension of a procurement inspector and removal of contractors in Rourkela. The Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation (OSCSC) cracked down on procurement inspector posted at STI godown on Friday. The official, Karmi Murmu, was placed under suspension.
The action comes a day after the Rourkela ADM office suspended contractor Usha Agarwal who was authorised to transport PDS commodities in the entire Panposh sub-division and the Steel City. The same day, the Sundargarh Collector’s office also shifted the marketing inspector of Nuagaon block to Rajgangpur and dismissed two contractual ‘Jogan Sahayaks’, a senior administrative officer informed.
TNIE had carried a detailed report on the PDS irregularities on Thursday. A letter from the OSCSC MD stated that in exercise of power conferred under Rule 12 (1) (a) of Orissa Civil Services Rules, 1962 read with Rule 24 of OSCSC Employees Services Rule, 1993, PI Karmi Murmu has been placed under suspension with immediate effect. During the suspension period, she will be posted at the office of Sundargarh Civil Supplies Officer and District Manager for OSCSC Ltd.
On June 19, villagers of Jahiritoli gram panchayat (GP) in Nuagaon block of Panposh with help of Birmitrapur MLA Shankar Oram, had intercepted a truck laden with PDS rice and wheat. They later handed over the vehicle to Birmitrapur police.
The MLA had alleged that the truck carrying PDS commodities had no valid documents. The truck was actually transporting rice and wheat procured from other sources but documents were forged to show that the commodities were from Rourkela godown, he claimed.
Oram further alleged that another truck carrying 320 bags of rice from Rourkela godown was on way to Purunapani GP the same day, but it never reached the destination. Both trucks were using same registration numbers, he claimed.