The unprecedented PDS wheat scam in Chief Minister’s home district is not yet dead. BJP State president KV Singh Deo on July 19 last through an un-starred Assembly question wanted to know from the Minister of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare (FS&CW) Sanjay Dasburma on steps taken by the Government in PDS wheat scam in Ganjam district, where 220 PDS wheat bags were recovered in the godown of Gouri Sankar Flour Mill and Millan Agency, giving a clear proof of pilferage and black marketing.
Singh Deo wanted to know specifically the steps taken by the Government against the culprits. However, the reply of the Minister was rather evasive.
Answering the question, the Minister said that necessary action was taken by the district administration against some officials and mill owners. The Minister said that a Procurement Inspector (PI) was placed under suspension while the contract of a level-1 contractor was terminated and his licence suspended.
He also talked about the seizures and proceedings against the guilty. The Minister said specific instructions were issued to the Ganjam Collector for a thorough probe.
The Patnagarh MlA, however, considered the brief action taken report of the Minister as an eye wash and avoidance of responsibility of the Government to bring the culprit to book and provide instant relief to the poor.
Notably, the diversion of huge quantities of PDS wheat for the purpose of black marketing was widely flashed in media with subsequent public anger.
The Ganjam Collector had written to the DCA-cum-Joint Secretary, FS&CW Department, in his report on the action taken by him in the issue. The Collector said that on receipt of information from reliable sources, he had directed the CSO, Tehsildar-cum-Executive Magistrate, Aska and IIC of Golanthara police station to proceed to the Millan Agency alias Gouri Sankar Flour Mill at Ralaba village for detection of illegal transaction of PDS wheat.
During the course of search operation, the squad seized 220 bags of PDS wheat loaded in two trucks. During the conduct of physical verification, the squad could come to know that the two trucks lifted wheat from CWC, Brahmapur on account of PDS for Aska Block and the receipt of which the Procurement Inspector (PI) of Aska Block Aravind Kothari reportedly had confessed.
Accordingly, the Tahasildar-cum-Executive Magistrate, Aska had suggested exemplary action against Kothari for his nexus with level-I contractor Maheswar Parida and the owner of Millan Agency. Accordingly, Kothari was suspended and contractor Parida’s contract was terminated.
However, the swift action of the Ganjam Collector gave rise to suspicion in the minds of the public, when the Commissioner-cum- Secretary, FS &CW Department, addressed to the Ganjam Collector shockingly questioned the propriety of his action. He described his action as hasty and probe inconclusive.
Singh Deo told that there is a strong public perception that the black marketing occurred with the tacit knowledge of some of key Government functionaries, but unfortunately the Government was lax on them.
There is a clear indication of a nexus between the Government and the mill owners in the State, said Singh Deo. He urged the Government to take immediate action against those Government functionaries on whose behest a racket was working.
It may be recalled that former Deputy Speaker and national Vice-President of BJP Krushak Morcha Rama Chandra Panda had also demanded early this month for a thorough and comprehensive probe into the scam in order to unmask the entire chain of people involved with the PDS scam. However, there is a strong public perception in favour of CBI investigation into the matter.