PDS foodgrain seized in raid, 6 held
Union information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni with secretary Raghu Menon at the release of the DAVP calendar for 2011
The food and civil supplies department in a raid carried out with the help of Delhi police recovered at least 84,950 kg of public distribution system (PDS) wheat and rice worth millions of rupees from a fair price shop. In all, 1,238 bags of wheat and 462 bags of rice were seized from the shop in Pushp Vihar and six persons, including the fair price shop owner, were arrested.
Investigations also revealed the nexus between brokers, Food Corporation of India officers, the shop owner and mill owners, involved in diverting the grain released under PDS to private mills.
Food and civil supplies minister Haroon Yusuf on Friday said: “The foodgrain was allocated to fair price shop under the public distribution system (PDS). An order for immediate suspension of fair price shop “Maa Durga Shiv Shakti Store” has been issued. An FIR has also been registered under the Essential Commodity Act.”
Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly V.K. Malhotra said that due to corruption in the food and civil supplies department many fair price shops are not able to get enough food material for disbursement from Delhi State Civil Supply Corporation and the FCI. He also expressed concern at the recovery of kerosene from a diesel adulteration unit in the city recently.
The police said that accused shop owner, Jagdish Parshad, was indulging in black-marketing of the foodgrains meant for the poor. “At least six trucks were recovered during the raid. Three were loaded with wheat bags and the rest had both wheat and rice bags,” said a police officer.
Investigation revealed that Parshad used to purchase wheat and rice through brokers. A senior police official said that the racket has been in existence for a long time and a number of brokers, contractors and card holders were involved in it.
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