The Commissionerate Police in a joint crackdown with civil supply department staff on Saturday busted a racket illegally dealing in PDS rice and arrested five persons in this connection. “We have arrested three staff members of a model fair price shop (Maitree), a rice merchant of Malgodown and a driver in this connection and forwarded them to court,” said ACP Trinath Mishra.
The police seized 195 packets, each containing 50 kg of rice and the vehicle used for transportation of the stuff. All the packets are marked as PDS rice meant to be distributed among BPl families at Rs1 per kg. Police said they intercepted the vehicle carrying some rice packets from a Government model shop located at Buxibazaar to the godown of the rice merchant located at Malgodown of the city. Following raids, police seized more packets of PDS rice stored in the godown.
“After questioning the rice merchant and the staff of the model shop, it was revealed that the PDS rice meant for BPl families is clandestinely sold in the open market. It is a clear case of pilferage of subsidised rice and we believe a powerful racket is behind it,” the ACP said.