First Information Report (FIR) would be registered against rice millers who had pocketed proceeds of sold rice worth Rs 4.71 Crore.
The rice mill located in Gidhouri had misappropriated about 15,000 quintals of rice, informed Assistant Food Officer Sanjay (AFO) Dubey.
The FIR is being registered on the directions of Collector Thakur Ram Singh, against the proprietor of Anshi Food Gidhori, Vijay Agrawal, Dubey said.
The rice miller during Kharif season of 2013-14 had made contract for custom milling of 40,000 quintal paddy.
The firm had then lifted 35,005 quintals paddy and deposited 12658 quintals only. The firm was suppose to deposit 10,796 quintals of rice which it failed to do so, the AFO informed.
During the raid, we found that Vijay Agrawal had sold 15,000 quintals of rice in open market which is worth Rs 4.71 crore.
last year also, the same firm was found indulging in misappropriation of rice and Kanki. The previous year, they had pocketed 224 quintals of rice and 397 quintals of Kanki, AFO said.
“Without taking permission from the State government, the rice miller cannot sell rice procured for custom milling in open market. It is an act of breach of trust”, he maintained.
A case under Essential Commodities Act 1955 and other relevant laws is being registered against Agrawal. Notably, the State government this year had fixed December 31, 2014 for submitting the rice after custom milling. The persons involved failed to comply with the law of the land and hence face appropriate punishments and penalities.
The millers failing to do so will have to face serious legal consequences, the AFO informed.