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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Badwa committee uncovers PDS racket in Yavatmal

Badwa committee uncovers PDS racket in Yavatmal

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published Published on Feb 21, 2011   modified Modified on Feb 21, 2011
With the arrest of two drivers of trucks transporting wheat and other food grains meant for the Public Distribution System (PDS) by the Wadgaon Road police on Sunday night, the unabated PDS food grain pilferage racket stands exposed once again.

According to Wadgaon Road police station officer (PSO) Baijnath Latpatte, drivers Firoz Shah Kasam (40) and Rafique Shah Kasam (45), both residents of Jafar Nagar, Yavatmal, were arrested after registering criminal offences under sections 420 and 406 of IPC on a complaint lodged by naib tehsildar NT Bhagwat of Yavatmal tehsil.

The complaint alleged that the two drivers pilfered the original wheat consignment by tampering with the seals of gunny bags. The trucks with the consignments were also seized. Both accused have been produced before the court and are in police custody till February 24.

The police said that the scam was that eight trucks were loaded with wheat meant for beneficiaries of Antyoday and Annapurna schemes from the Dhamangaon Railway rake point and brought to Yavatmal to be stored in the government warehouse on Darwha Road.

All the eight trucks were given entry passes by godown manager Raju Yadav on February 18. However, the trucks bearing registration numbers MH-29-6125 and MH-29-7579, laden with 185 bags each (total of 370 bags) were not allowed to unload the wheat. The drivers were asked to take the wheat back. The accused drivers then took the wheat bags to their house in Jafar Nagar.

On Saturday, the godown manager gave a nod to the labourers to unload the wheat and the trucks were brought to the warehouse. Coincidently, on Saturday, the central committee headed by Justice Badwa was in the city for a public hearing and the main issue raised by the public was the unabated corruption and nexus between government employees and the mafias.

After winding up the public hearing, the committee made a surprise visit to the government warehouse on Darwha Road and caught red-handed the rotten wheat being unloaded from the two trucks. On examination, it was found that the wheat was rotten and unfit for human consumption. The gunny bags were found to be sewn manually. The committee ordered the seizure of the rotten wheat along with the vehicles.

Officials of the food supply department were woken up and tehsildar Rupesh Khandare directed the naib tehsildar to lodge a complaint in the police station against the truck drivers.

The question being asked by all is, how were the two trucks in the warehouse premises allowed to go out before unloading the wheat, and how they were again permitted to unload after a lapse of 48 hours?

It appears that there is a nexus between the godown keeper and other supply department officials with the transporters. If that is the case, the drivers are being made scapegoats of the racket, while officials have been absolved of all responsibility.

"The investigation should be handed over to the CBI, as there is involvement of big influential criminals in the case and they should be brought to book, which the local police cannot not accomplish," Mohan Jadhav of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS) demanded.

Some time back, the Darwha police had seized a truck laden with rice bags meant for PDS that had been smuggled into Yavatmal from Washim district and arrested two, including the driver.

Yavatmal, February 21: The Committee headed by former Supreme Court Justice D.P.Badwa has its public hearing sitting at local Bachat Bhavan here on Saturday. People from all walks of life thronged to the venue to raise their concern over the ongoing corruption in the Public Distribution System.

The main allegation was the incurable corruption and an unabated nexus between the mafias and the Govt employees.

The public has raised the menace of the long stay of the employees of the Food Supply Department at one place and brought the evidence as to how they mint money daily from the PDS dealers and kerosene mafias.

"We have to pay a bribe for every work and if we failed to do so, the employees put forth various lame excuses and deny the prompt supply of food grains," alleged one of the dealers.

However, the representatives of NGOs alleged that the supply is much more than the actual requirement of kerosene as a result; the kerosene meant for the BPL and APL card holders is diverted to the public who use it in their vehicles.

"We make complaints even to the District Collector about the nexus of the mafia and the employees but of no avail," alleged one of the participants.

Many of the speakers have suggested that the price gap of diesel and kerosene should be abridged by lifting the subsidy on kerosene so that the menace of mixing kerosene with other fuel would be curbed. The supply of food grains at the rate of Rs. 2 per kg has increased the lethargy among the farm labourers and they prefer to play cards or gambling in the villages," alleged Ashok Bhutada. However, the Secretary of VJAS Mohan Jadhav has demanded the supply of food grains to the beneficiaries of both Anthyodaya and Annapurna schemes.

The Dealers representatives demanded for hike in their commission and adequate supply of food grains and kerosene without interruption

The Times of India, 22 February, 2011, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Badwa-committee-uncovers-PDS-racket-in-Yavatmal/articleshow/7543074.cms


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