BARGARH : Two staff members under Padampur RMC have been disengaged from service following a departmental inquiry into alleged false entries in paddy procurement at Kharamunda mandi in Bargarh district.
The action comes after evidence including copies of transit pass-cum-acceptance notes issued by the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare department revealed glaring discrepancies in paddy transportation records from Kharamunda procurement centre under Bada Bausen primary agricultural cooperative society (PACS) in Bijepur block. It comes under the Padampur regulated market committee (RMC).
Those disengaged from service are in-charge of Kharamunda mandi Meenaketan Sahu and data entry operator Ranjan Kumar Sahu, informed the RMC soruces.
On December 27, at around 5 pm, two transit passes were issued within a five-minute interval for the same vehicle. The documents showed different quantities of paddy, rice mills and driver names, raising serious questions over how a single vehicle could transport separate consignments within such a short span. The issue snowballed into a controversy after copies of the transit receipts became public on social media last week.
Taking serious note of the matter, Bargarh collector Aditya Goel directed chief district supply officer (CDSO) Bibhu Prasanna Acharya to conduct an inquiry. A team led by the assistant civil supplies officers (ACSOs) of Bargarh Sadar and Padampur was constituted to verify records, examine documents and record statements.
Based on findings of the inquiry, disciplinary action was initiated against two staff members posted at the procurement centre.
Deputy registrar of cooperative societies (DRCS) Jugal Das confirmed the action. “The discrepancy was not a case of deliberate malpractice but resulted from procedural lapses as the officials failed to use the vehicle tracking system as mandated while making the transit entries. Disciplinary action was initiated on this ground,” he added.