As many as seven people have been suspended, including the district manager of the paddy purchase agency UPSS, after 20,000 quintal paddies were found missing in UP’s Deoria.
The action was taken following an investigation report of Food and Logistics Department from Lucknow. (Photo: Ram Pratap Singh)
By Ram Pratap Singh: The district manager of the paddy purchase agency UPSS, along with six purchase center in-charges have been suspended in connection with the scam of 20,000 quintals of paddy in the Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh on Friday.
A total of seven people have been suspended in connection to the scam. This action was taken following the DM’s investigation and the investigation report of the team of the Food and Logistics Department from Lucknow.
An FIR has already been registered against four of the purchase center in-charges. The scam came to light after DM’s online review. He said that so far nine lakh quintals of paddy has been procured from the farmers.
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As many as 54 purchase centers were investigated after irregularities were found in the stock of paddy at a purchase center in an online verification last week. After 16,000 quintals of paddy were found missing in the investigation, a case was registered against four purchase center-in-charges.
The Secretary of the State Food and Logistics Department took the matter seriously and sent the government investigation team to Deoria. When the team verified the stock of various purchase centers in the district, a big scam was exposed. A total of 20,000 quintals of paddy were missing in the stock verification at six purchase centers. After that, the government ordered the suspension.
The six purchase centers in-charge of Belwa, Banjariya, Rustampur, Parasia Chitni, Swikritpura and Narayanpur Aurai have been suspended. Also, departmental action is being taken against Bhatparrani and Lar purchase center in-charges. Along with this, Ram Kinkar Shukla, the District Manager of UPSS UP Consumer Cooperative Union, has also been suspended.
According to the DM JP Singh, “We did an investigation last week related to the paddy purchase as per the purchase policy as directed by the government. In the investigation we found that 20,000 quintals of paddy were reported the center in-charges but were not found in the godown.”
Edited By:
Manisha Pandey
Published On:
Jan 21, 2023
