Asia’s biggest chilli yard in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh under vigilance scanner

GUNTUR: A rift between NTR Mirchi Yard secretary and committee members over the allegations of non-implementation of eNAM has led to an inquiry by the Vigilance and Enforcement department at the Asia’s biggest chilli yard.

The committee members, including some employees of the Yard, had earlier lodged a complaint regarding the same with the marketing department, marketing minister and vigilance department alleging the Yard secretary N Srinivasa Rao of not implementing electronic National Agriculture Market, violating usage of electronic weighing machines and letting employees stay absent from duty without applying for leave.

The members, in their complaint to minister C Adinarayana Reddy, said the secretary was letting traders use manual weighing scales even after the purchase of 100 electronic weighing machines. They said the official did not link the machines with the eNAM portal, adding that neither the supervisors or salesmen showed any interest for promotion of eNAM. They also said that the portal usually remained down between 3pm and 6pm.

As such, the vigilance department issued a notice to the secretary and collected data from the NTR Mirchi Yard officials.

Refuting the allegations, Srinivasa Rao said that about 1,500 traders, 350 commission agents and more than one lakh farmers in the region were registered under eNAM and business transactions were being conducted smoothly at the yard. He said the vigilance officials had collected data and conducted an inquiry regarding the same and that all asked documents were submitted.

Vigilance regional SP T Sobha Manjagi said the inquiry was completed and that a report would be submitted to the government soon. The yard chairman M Subba Rao demanded the transfer of  the secretary and said the vigilance officials were going to further their inquiry on Friday.