NEW DELHI: While the Central Bureau of Investigation conducted nearly 100 raids in connection with a multicrore scam involving procurement, storage and distribution of food grains in several pockets across India over last week, involving officials of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), Union Minister of Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal on Saturday warned of strict action against institutions or individuals indulging in corruption and asked for speedy transformation of the institution.
Speaking on the occasion of the 59th Foundation Day of the FCI, Goyal directed all senior officers of the department to keep an eye and take strict action against erring corrupt officials. He also asked officials of his ministry to closely monitor and ensure speedy transformation of the FCI and Central Warehousing Corporation. He directed officials to file a transformation status report on a fortnightly basis. Stating that the recent CBI action was a wakeup call, he asked the senior FCI and department officials to adopt a zero-tolerance towards corruption.
The CBI so far has raided about 99 locations under “Operation Kanak” against the unholy nexus of channelised corruption adopted by FCI officials, private rice millers and grain merchants by way of paying undue gratification to certain officials of the FCI for getting undue favours. The agency made seizures of around `5 crores so far including cash and FDR from locations in north as well as south India.
The searches were conducted at Rup Nagar, Sangrur, Morinda, Bassi Pathana Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohali, Gurdaspur, Barnala, Mansa, Bathinda, Sunam, Budlada, Mohali (all in Punjab); Ambala, Gurugram (in Haryana); Kolar, Chikkabalapur (in Karnataka); Chennai (Tamil Nadu), New Delhi, Chandigarh etc. in the premises of several private and government officials including the Executive Director of FCI, Sudeep Singh.
While several people were taken into custody, a case was registered against 74 accused including 34 serving and 3 retired officials of FCI, 17 private persons and other entities etc. The CBI alleged that a huge amount of bribe was paid to FCI officials for extending favours to the private nexus operators.
It was further alleged that private rice millers and grain merchants were paying bribes to FCI officials for getting favours in accommodating procurement of low quality foodgrains, malpractices in day-to-day operations in unloading of foodgrains, managing enquiries against various malpractices, etc.