On the directive of Garhwa SDO Raj Maheshwaram, Block Supply Officer Rahul Kumar lodged an FIR against one person who was caught red-handed along with the grains PDS.
On October 21 the District Food and Civil Supplies department, Garhwa had checked a warehouse where nearly 250 quintals of grains meant for distribution in the Public Distribution System (PDS) in Garhwa were dumped.
On the basis of the information and the directions of the SDO, they raided a warehouse located on Rehla road in Chetna village and seized 250 quintals of grain including 125 quintals of wheat and 125 quintals of rice marked to be supplied to PDS shops. The supply was being lodged in a private warehouse at Chetna village under Garhwa police limit.
The SDO had sought clarification from the warehouse owner from October 22.
From the documents filed by the warehouse owner in response to the clarification, it is not clear from where the recovered rice and wheat were procured, hence prima facie it is clear that the food grains distributed under the public Distribution System are distributed in Chhattisgarh State Nigam and belongs to Uttar Pradesh State Nigam. The grains were seized and the warehouse was sealed \on Wednesday.
Block supply officer Rahul Kumar lodged FIR against warehouse owner Vivek Kumar Keshari a resident of Kalwar Mohalla, Garhwa under the Essential Commodities Act 1955, Jharkhand Targeted Public Distribution System (Control) Order 2019 / 2022 and other relevant sections of the National Food Security Act IPC.
District Supply Officer (DSO) cum Garhwa SDO Raj Maheshwaram said, "For the last one month, we have been receiving reports that there are several areas where foodgrain sent to the district supply unit for distribution were not being sent to PDS shops. Instead, they were being smuggled to be sold in black markets."