Bhopal: Mandi Board suspends 2 ASIs for govt food grain pilferage

Bhopal: Mandi Board on Friday suspended its two assistant sub inspectors (ASIs) in connection with supply of government food grains to private sellers. These food grains were meant for Public Distribution System (PDS) outlets but were found in private godowns.  According to information, ASIs Vinod Bhargava and Indramani Dwivedi have been suspended for dereliction of duty. Earlier, MP Food and Civil Supplies Corporation had suspended its district manager P K Tiwari and assistant manager Prakash Borwankar.

The police have registered FIRs against five accused who have been identified as Faiyyaz Ali, Ravi Ahuja, Arvind Sahu, Khalid Khan and Majid Khan. Faiyyaz Ali is the owner of Vicky Trader warehouse where the district administration officials conducted the raid and recovered the illegally stored grains.

Ahuja owns Simran Foods from where 115 quintals of rice were recovered and Sahu is the owner of Aman Foods from where 15 quintals of wheat were recovered. Khalid Khan is a transporter who delivered the food grains from State Civil Supplies Corporation warehouse to Madarsa. Majid Khan is the director of the Madarsa to whom the food grains were sanctioned.

Mandi Board commissioner Faiz Ahmed Kidwai said, “PDS wheat was found dumped in private godowns. It shows involvement of staff of Mandi in this illegal channel of grains which were allotted for social welfare at subsidised rate or almost free of cost by the government.”

Food and Civil Supplies Corporation MD Vikas Narwal said, “We have taken prompt initiatives to plug pilferages. Firstly, on line tracking of transportation will be introduced within 15 days. Secondly, grains which used to be dumped every six months at store of beneficiaries like hostels, madarsa, old age homes, sanjha-chulha will now be supplied every month. It will be verified.”

Besides, panchayat vigilance committee members will be sent SMSs when consignment will be transported from government godown and after dumping food grains at beneficiaries end, another SMS will follow.