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B’shahr grain black marketing: Senior officials under scanner
A senior government official said the state authorities had ordered probe into the role of other officers responsible for the black marketing . He said such a big fraud of black-marketing of 3000 quintals food grains could not be take place without the connivance of district level officials or perhaps it was sheer negligence on their part .
LUCKNOW The role of senior officials of the food and civil supplies department was under scanner in connection with the black marketing of around 3000 quintals of foodgrain, meant for under privileged sections of society, from the Food Corporation of India’s warehouse in Bulandshahr district, said senior government officials here on Thursday.
The officials said the district officials of food and civil supplies department initially tried to protect themselves by lodging FIR only against the district food marketing inspector Sudhir Kumar, marketing inspector, Ankur Singh and five private individuals, including transportation contractor Ravindra Singh, labour contractor Shiv Kumar and labourers Wakeel Khan, Pinki and Pawan Kumar. The FIR was lodged under IPC sections 409 for criminal breach of trust by public servant, 420 for cheating, 120-B criminal conspiracy and sections 3 and 7 of Essential Commodities Act for black marketing, misappropriation and misuse of government food grains, at Kotwali Dehat police station of Bulandshahr on May 25 .
The state government on Wednesday suspended several officials, including the district supply officer (DSO) of Bulandshahr Sunil Singh, district food marketing officer (DFMO) Zia Ahmad Khan, district food marketing inspector Sudhir Kumar and supply inspector Vivek Srivastava after holding them responsible for the fraud. Zia Ahmad Khan was the complainant in the FIR lodged in this connection.
A senior government official said the state authorities had ordered probe into the role of other officers responsible for the black marketing . He said such a big fraud of black-marketing of 3000 quintals food grains could not be take place without the connivance of district level officials or perhaps it was sheer negligence on their part . He said the detailed report submitted to the state government exposed the negligence and fault of district level officers of food and civil supplies in the entire incident following which the state government had taken major action in the case.
Commissioner of food and civil supplies, Saurabh Babu had earlier informed that a three -member investigation committee was constituted under the chairmanship of additional commissioner (establishment) from the headquarters to investigate the matter. The committee conducted an on-site investigation and found that the officials and employees, including the transport contractor, had not implemented the relevant provisions of the government order and other related instructions related to single-stage doorstep delivery system and supervisory responsibilities had not been discharged.
In addition to this, departmental action has also been taken against depot incharge/block dispatch incharge Shalini Pachauri (regional marketing officer), Indrapal Singh, Gaurav Kumar, Vinod Kumar Dohre, Mukesh Kumar, Rajiv Sharma, Manoj Kumar (all marketing inspectors) for negligence in food grain dispatch work and not maintaining proper records. The transport contractor firm, M/s Ravindra Singh, has been blacklisted and removed from the job.
