The Samruddha Odisha has urged the CBI to conduct an investigation into the allegations that the State Government has been procuring excess BPl rice from the Centre and distributing low quantities among beneficiaries since long. “The State Government is procuring subsidized rice for excess number of 5.64 lakh BPl cardholdiers by giving false report to the Centre. Similarly, it has been cutting 10 kg of rice from each of 32.98 lakh BPl families each month on the plea that it would distribute rice to 10 lakh BPl families, who are not in the Central list. The Government has been stealing these rice by hoodwinking people and the Centre,” alleged party’s legal advisor and former Judge Umashankar Mishra at a Press conference here.
He informed that the party has submitted a memorandum to the CBI SP here seeking a thorough investigation into these allegations. Mishra said the State Government has submitted a false report mentioning that the State has 48.58 lakh BPl families as per 1997 BPl survey report in 2004 against earlier mention of 44 lakh. This way, the State Government has been procuring more rice for excess 5.64 lakh BPl families since 2004, he said, informing that his party’s SC Cell convenor Debraj Mohanty has got this information through the RTI Act. Among others, party general secretary Prabeer Mohanty, SC Cell convenor Mohanty, Yogacharya Anamswami, SC Cell coordinator Chaitanya Charan Jena and senior members Sushant Sekhar Mohanty and Pranab Chhotray were present.