Officials pass the buck; say we don’t know who is responsible
Sameer Showkin Lone
Srinagar: While there seems no end in massive ration scams in Kashmir, in yet another new scam, seven trucks loaded with rice meant for the Food Corporation of India’s (FCI) Baramulla PEG never reached the destination. Where did these trucks bearing registration numbers PB32P-2971, PB32P-8871, PB32P-5171, PB32P-3971 and PB32P-4271, unloaded the rice meant?
The Press Trust of Kashmir talked to all the officials concerned about the issue, which seems to be a massive rice scam. The officials shifted blames on each other. However, sources revealed that some top officers of FCI of the rank of managers are involved in this.
The documents in possession of PTK reveal, “As per the photocopy of challans received from district office Jalandhar the date of unloading may be read as 15/17-jan-2016. The Committee has checked the receipt register and master ledger of PEG Baramulla of those particular dates. It has been observed that on 15- Jan 2016 only 7 trucks had been unloaded at PEG Baramulla out of which 2 trucks had been received from district office Jammu and 5 trucks had been received from district office Gurdaspur, Punjab on 17 -Jan 2016 (being Sunday). But not even a single truck has been unloaded at PEG Baramulla, read the documents.
The challans, which sources say are forged, however, bear the sign of the authorties concerned showing trucks have been unloaded” at the supposed location at PEG Baramulla. But the committee report has found that not even a single truck has been unloaded.
According to the Committee Report, “For the last three months, inspection teams had found huge variations in weight and sub-standard quality of rice at PEG (Private Entrepreneur Guarantee) godowns in Baramulla and Budgam.”
The Committee further checked the receipt register from 30-Dec-2015 to 12- March-16 (the date on which entry has been made in receipt register and no entry has been made afterwards) and no such information as desired by letter no-FCI/SGR/Acctts/Part1/2015-16 dated 18-5-16 is matching with available record (Receipt Register and Master Ledger).
“No, doubt the same trucks have entered the premises of PEG Baramulla but with different Challan numbers and quantity,” it is being said.
Furthermore, the Committee could not check the weight Bridge register and inward/Outward register as the same has been seized by SDPO Sopore under proper acknowledgement.
Sources told press trust Of Kashmir that “The entries made in receipt and issue register/ day wise do not match with stack wise register. On some days the difference is as high as 2055 bags,” the inspection report says.
The inspection note adds that many challan numbers seem ‘fictitious’ with duplicate stamp and wrong register number from Lower Munda toll post.
The FCI report has been submitted to the higher authorities but no action was taken yet.
“Although it is not mentioned in the report but the team found around 70,000 quintals of rice missing in the godown. Both the Punjab FCI and CAPD Baramulla officers are involved in it,” sources alleged.
Sources named two employees names withheld (One is a labour and another area manager) are involved in it.
The former in-charge Area Manager of Baramulla PEG during whose tenure the irregularity has taken place, Majid Ahmed said he has been transferred from the area. “I don’t know the present status of the issue,” he said.
Asked if this scam has occurred during his tenure and sources say the fabricated challans bear your signatures, he said…”how can one differentiate from original and a fake challan. Talk to the present incharge official posted there,” he said.
Incharge manager PEG Baramulla Hilal Ahmed said he has no information about it. “The former Manager knows all about this,” he said. (PTK)