Hosangabad, Madhya Pradesh:
Nearly 42,000 quintals of wheat worth six crore rupees that was procured from farmers last year has reportedly gone missing from state government warehouses in Maharashtra's Hosangabad district, triggering a blame game between officials from various government departments.
Hosangabad is a leading wheat producing district of the state. Last year, 75 lakh 17 thousand quintals of wheat was procured by the state government from farmers at the rate of Rs 1500 per quintal. Of the total stock, 74 lakh 52 thousand quintals are stocked in government warehouses and logistic corporation. From the remaining 65,000 quintals, co-operatives say, 23,000 quintals of wheat was rejected for its poor quality. But what happened to the remaining 42,000 quintals is now a matter of investigation.
"For on spot shortage of wheat, the liability is of the procurement centre in-charge and the sub agent of the State Civil Supplies Corporation. As far as shortage during transportation is concerned, the arbitrator at state level will have to look into the agreement between the State Civil Supplies Corporation and that co-operative society," Deputy commissioner of the Hosangabad Co-operative Society R K Patankar told NDTV.
The State Civil Supplies Corporation is a nodal agency that hires cooperative societies as sub-agents and provides them with sacks and money. The societies procure wheat from farmers and deliver them to state owned warehouses.
"The procurement operation is quite big and there are transit losses, moisture loss etc. But until and unless the accounts of all the societies is properly checked, we cannot say anything for sure," the General Manager Procurement at State Civil Supplies Corporation, R Bhandari, told NDTV.
The Madhya Pradesh government knows about the missing wheat since September 2013 and had written to the Hosangabad administration to investigate and file a report within a month. But the Hosangabad administration filed its preliminary report in the case just a few days ago and has been ordered to submit its final report this month itself.
Hosangabad is a leading wheat producing district of the state. Last year, 75 lakh 17 thousand quintals of wheat was procured by the state government from farmers at the rate of Rs 1500 per quintal. Of the total stock, 74 lakh 52 thousand quintals are stocked in government warehouses and logistic corporation. From the remaining 65,000 quintals, co-operatives say, 23,000 quintals of wheat was rejected for its poor quality. But what happened to the remaining 42,000 quintals is now a matter of investigation.
"For on spot shortage of wheat, the liability is of the procurement centre in-charge and the sub agent of the State Civil Supplies Corporation. As far as shortage during transportation is concerned, the arbitrator at state level will have to look into the agreement between the State Civil Supplies Corporation and that co-operative society," Deputy commissioner of the Hosangabad Co-operative Society R K Patankar told NDTV.
The State Civil Supplies Corporation is a nodal agency that hires cooperative societies as sub-agents and provides them with sacks and money. The societies procure wheat from farmers and deliver them to state owned warehouses.
"The procurement operation is quite big and there are transit losses, moisture loss etc. But until and unless the accounts of all the societies is properly checked, we cannot say anything for sure," the General Manager Procurement at State Civil Supplies Corporation, R Bhandari, told NDTV.
The Madhya Pradesh government knows about the missing wheat since September 2013 and had written to the Hosangabad administration to investigate and file a report within a month. But the Hosangabad administration filed its preliminary report in the case just a few days ago and has been ordered to submit its final report this month itself.
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