The assistant godown manager of the SFC cum Jan Sewak Hussainabad Arvind Kumar Singh has been put under suspension by an order of the DC Palamu Anjaneyulu Dodde.
Singh has been further slapped with more than 16 lakh of rupees as penalty for fudging more than 400 quintal food grains under the National Food Security Act.
A press note of the district administration said the Hussainabad MLA Kamlesh Kumar Singh had complained to the DC Palamu about the siphoning off more than 400 quintal of food grains by Arvind following which an inquiry committee was set up which found fudging of more than 400 quintal food grains under the National Food Security Act.
The cost of the fudged food grains has been calculated to be little over 16 lakh of rupees which would be realised from the suspended Arvind now but the official press note did not elaborate anything on how this huge penalty amount worth more than 16 lakh of rupees would be realised from Arvind.
Sources said there are a few holes in this whole episode. First can a lower rung assistant godown manager cum Jan Sewak devour food grains under the National Food Security Act alone worth more than 16 lakh.
Second the fraud with food grains can't be of just one month or two months and hence why this food grain fraud could not be detected at the godown during the mandatory verification of stock and delivery of the food grains by the block supply officer down to the district supply officer then.
Third is the State Food Corporation in Palamu free of this food grain fraud as it is just possible that unscrupulous officials of the SFC did know about this fishy food grain affair but kept tight lipped.