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Chandigarh: Punjab The Vigilance Bureau has arrested Food and Public Distribution Officer Baldev Raj Verma, posted in Mansa, who is now serving as District Food and Civil Supplies Controller, on charges of causing financial loss of Rs 25.34 lakh to Pangrain. The state procurement agency has been arrested.
Giving information in this regard today, the official spokesperson of the State Vigilance Bureau said that this case has been registered after investigating two complaints filed against the said officer.
Giving more details, he said that during the saffron season 2017-18, the State Government had implemented Custom Milling Policy, according to which the approved rice mills located in the jurisdiction of procurement centers or grain markets were to be linked to these grain markets and the paddy was stored. Or should be used for peeling rice. If a rice mill owner claimed to be connected to the nearest procurement center or grain market, a report to this effect was to be obtained from the field staff and additional transportation charges were to be paid to the concerned rice mill.
The spokesperson further said that during investigation, details obtained regarding storage of paddy in the rice sheds allotted to Pangrain in Mansa revealed that 4500 MT of paddy was allotted to Guru Rice Mill but only 3824 MT of paddy was stored in it. I went. During the initial procurement, the required paddy storage capacity of the local rice mills could not be met as the paddy was taken to rice mills located far away from the Joga procurement centre. Thus the government had to suffer financial loss due to transportation expenses.
He further informed that Baldev Raj Verma, Officiating District Food and Supplies Controller, Mansa, had given facility to his favorite rice sheller owners to store paddy even from distant markets, while allowing shellers located near grain markets to store paddy. Went. Paddy was not allocated as per their capacity.
He further informed that the Principal Secretary Food and Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs, Punjab has also filed a charge sheet against the said accused Baldev Raj Verma for causing a loss of Rs 25.34 lakh to Pangrain Agency by transporting paddy by five sheller owners. The chargesheet reveals that Baldev Raj Verma caused huge financial loss to the Punjab government by wrongly linking local grain markets with sheller owners.
In this regard, Vigilance Bureau has registered IPC against Baldev Raj Verma at Bathinda Range Police Station. A case has been registered under Section 409 of the Act and Section 13 (1) read with 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. He said that further investigation into this matter is going on.