Chhattisgarh suspends 31 officials over paddy procurement
The Chhattisgarh Government has suspended 31 personnel linked to the ongoing minimum support price (MSP) paddy procurement drive for alleged irregularities, officials said on Friday.
Separately, the services of one employee have been terminated, while three others have been removed from duty. FIRs have been registered against three of the suspended officials and employees. In a related action, the administration in Mungeli district sealed 14 rice mills and seized over 12,000 quintals of paddy after detecting serious irregularities in custom milling operations.
Paddy procurement is being carried out from November 15 to January 31 during the Kharif marketing season 2025-26.
The action against officials and employees allegedly involved in irregularities has been taken in 12 districts- Durg, Bemetara, Kabirdham, Bilaspur, Janjgir-Champa, Raigarh, Sakti, Jagdalpur, Raipur, Gariaband, Mahasamund, and Balodabazar-Bhatapara, according to a government statement issued on Thursday.
Of them, Umesh Kumar Sahu, Assistant Manager of the Mau Cooperative Society in Bemetara district, and Anil Bajpai, Manager of the society at Kukdur paddy procurement centre in Kabirdham district, were suspended and FIRs lodged against them in connection with alleged fake paddy procurement and shortages detected during physical verification, respectively, it said.
An FIR was also registered against Kamiram Khunte, in-charge of the Eramsahi procurement centre in Bilaspur district, after a shortage of 920 bags of paddy was detected.
In Raipur district, Rakesh Jangde, clerk-cum-operator at the Nardahra procurement centre, was dismissed from service for allegedly extorting money from farmers.
The State Government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards irregularities in paddy procurement and strict action will continue against those found violating norms, the statement said.
Meanwhile, in Mungeli district, a joint team of senior officials from the revenue, police, and food departments conducted surprise inspections at several rice mills following alerts generated by the State Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) regarding alleged irregularities in custom milling.
Cases of overloading, recycling, and serious lapses in custom milling were detected during the inspection. The Mungeli District Food Officer said action was initiated against 19 rice mills under relevant rules, of which 14 have already been sealed.
Mungeli Collector Kundan Kumar said transparency in paddy procurement is the administration's top priority, and strict action will be taken against any irregularity, fraud, or involvement of intermediaries at any level.
Under the State Government's directions for the Kharif Marketing Year 2025-26, the lifting of paddy by millers from cooperative societies is being closely monitored through the ICCC command centre.
Vehicles engaged in paddy transportation are being tracked via GPS, with alerts generated in cases of route deviation, prolonged halts, or transportation beyond permitted capacity.
