JEYPORE: A two-member team of Food Corporation of India (FCI) on Wednesday started probe into allegations of corruption against quality control officials of Jeypore during procurement of rice from millers in 2018-19 kharif season.
The Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation (OSCSC) had asked millers of Koraput to deliver around 2,29,828 quintal raw rice and 50,673 quintal boiled rice to Umuri depot of FCI in Jeypore. It is alleged that the millers were asked to deposit extra four quintal rice each in a lot of 270 kg along with Rs 7,000 by the quality control officials and depot staff.
When a few millers refused to pay the bribe, they were allegedly harassed by the officials and the rice supplied by them to the depot was returned. As the millers’ complaint in the matter to the Area Manager of FCI, Jeypore failed to yield any result, they approached former Koraput Collector S Chakravarty on May 1 this year.
Chakravarty assigned the responsibility of conducting a probe into the matter to Jeypore District Civil Supplies Officer (DCSO). The DCSO found the allegations to be true following which the Collector raised the issue with the regional office of FCI at Kolkata.
The FCI team comprising DGM Kolkata Jayadeep Kachhap and an official of the Vigilance wing of the regional office inspected the rice stock at Jeypore depot and interacted with quality control officials, agents, millers and the DCSO. Kachhap said an internal departmental inquiry will be conducted into the matter. “This will ensure transparency in the probe,” he said.