About 300 quintals of relief rice meant for distribution among the Phailin and flood victims of ward no 8 and 9 of Sataputuni Gram Panchayat under Rangailunda block here are reportedly missing.
Public unrest is growing in these two wards, known as Goutam Nagar, as the victims have been deprived of the much-awaited relief rice. “Missing of such huge quantity of grains has once again proved the Government’ claim of “relief to everyone” as hollow,” said the aggrieved victims.
The Goutam Nagar Development Committee on Saturday submitted a memorandum to the district Collector and Sub-Collector demanding a probe into the matter, immediate recovery of the missing rice and fixing of accountability for the lapses.
While describing the incident as ‘shame’ on cthe administration, two former Government officers, Subash Panda and R Choudhury said that they had personally met the Sub-Collector who told them that, “For every household a bag of rice has been issued to the concerned GP and I have nothing more to say than this.”
However, when the attention of the BDO was drawn towards the issue, he parried the query.
On the other hand, the locals have threatened to take the matter to legal forums.
“There is rampant misappropriation and misuse of relief materials at the cost of the victims in the district and the government has imposed an emergency-like restriction on the citizens not to open their mouth on the scam, which is undemocratic,” said a denizen.