Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
New Delhi: If bank lockers were once the benchmark for high-value thefts, paddy procurement centres in Kabirdham may now rival them. A staggering 26,000 quintals of paddy have disappeared from government stock, a loss valued at over Rs 8 crore when calculated at around Rs 3,100 per quintal, including minimum support price and bonus.
The shortage was detected at two procurement centres in the district, Bazar Charbhatta and Bagharra, where paddy bought from farmers during the 2024–25 season had been stored.
A high-level complaint has been lodged against the in-charge of the Bazar Charbhatta centre, where the largest discrepancy was found. The complaint alleges misappropriation worth nearly Rs 5 crore at that centre alone.
Beyond missing stock, the document flags what it describes as a coordinated operation. It alleges fabricated records of paddy inflow and outflow, fake purchase bills, falsified labour attendance registers and, most seriously, tampering with CCTV systems, including switching cameras off during crucial periods.
District Marketing Officer Abhishek Mishra confirmed that procurement in-charge Pritesh Pandey has been removed from his post. However, the official explanation for the missing paddy has drawn widespread scepticism.
According to Mishra, the loss was caused by exposure to weather and damage by rodents and insects.
"The paddy is kept in the open and it has been damaged by rats, insects and termites... Our situation is better than many centres. In other places shortages are much higher."
Assistant District Food Officer Madan Sahu, who is heading the inquiry, said a committee has been formed and early findings back the allegations.
"A complaint has been received... the complaint is detailed about stock arrival, husk arrival, manipulation of incoming and outgoing stock, and CCTV being switched off. Preliminary investigation has found the complaint to be true."
Sahu said he has sought information on 23 specific points and that further action would follow once the investigation reaches its final conclusions.
The issue has now spilled into the political arena. After the discrepancies came to light, the Congress staged an unusual protest outside the DMO office, carrying rat traps to ridicule the claim that pests consumed paddy worth crores.
Protesters symbolically handed over a trap to officials and demanded a high-level inquiry along with the immediate registration of an FIR. Congress leaders alleged collusion and claimed there was pressure to protect those responsible, including through political backing.
As scrutiny intensifies, the central question in Kabirdham remains unresolved: did rodents really eat through thousands of quintals of grain, or is the real damage buried in paperwork and records?
