The Hindu : Karnataka News : Gulbarga police seize 24 tonnes of grain

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 21, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Gulbarga police seize 24 tonnes of grain

By Our Special Correspondent

GULBARGA, JULY 20. The Gulbarga police last night seized 24 tonnes of foodgrains worth nearly Rs. 3 lakhs meant for the food-for-work programme, which was being illegally transported to Mumbai in two trucks.

The police arrested an Andhra Pradesh-based grain dealer, Mukund Das, the driver of the car in which he was travelling, Malleshi, and the drivers of the two trucks, Parameshwar and Sanjay.

Although misuse of foodgrains meant for the food-for-work programme has been reported from other parts of the State, this is the first time that such a large seizure was made in Gulbarga district.

The Deputy Commissioner, Anjum Parvez, who visited the spot near Malkhed where the seizure was made, said the foodgrains and the three vehicles and cash seized were worth more than Rs. 11.40 lakhs.

The preliminary investigation had revealed the involvement of the Chitapur Taluk Executive Officer; an official of the taluk panchayat; secretaries of the Sannati, Korwar, Hungunta and Kandagol gram panchayats; and a taluk panchayat member, Mahesh Patil, in the diversion of foodgrains to the open market, he said.

Police teams have been sent to Korwar, Sannati, Hungunta and Kandagol villages to arrest those suspected to be involved in the racket.

The Superintendent of Police, Ramachandra Rao, who headed the team that seized the two trucks, said that there was also suspicion about the involvement of the officials in charge of the State Warehousing Corporation at Chitapur from where the foodgrains were lifted by the dealer in the presence of the four gram panchayat secretaries.

Dr. Rao said the preliminary investigation revealed that these foodgrains were originally allotted to the four gram panchayats for taking up `Jal Rakshana' programmes to provide employment to the people, but the gram panchayat secretaries had colluded with taluk panchayat officials to illegally sell these foodgrains to private dealers.

The police were also checking the records of the foodgrain stocked in the godowns, he said.

Mr. Parvez said a team of officials had been deputed to inspect the records at the Chitapur taluk panchayat and the gram panchayats coming under its purview on the allotment of foodgrains and its use. Official teams would also be sent to other taluk panchayats to check the records on the use of foodgrains released by the Government for the food-for-work programme, he added.

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