· Six trucks impounded
· Proceedings under IPC and ECA initiated
· Minister orders blacklisting of firm
Chandigarh, November 10:
In a late-night operation on Saturday, the Punjab Food Supply Department’s Vigilance team caught six trucks transporting paddy from other states for illegal sale on Minimum Support Price in Punjab, informed Mr. Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Punjab.
One of the trucks was caught in Salem Tabri Mandi, Ludhiana, two trucks in Sangrur mandi, two trucks in Sunaam and yet another truck in the premises of MK Rice Mill, Sunaam. The team discovered about 9000 bags of out of state paddy already stacked in the rice mill. All the trucks had entered Punjab via Ramnagar barrier/check post in Patiala.
The Minister said, “ Such practices had been rampant in the past but we are fully alive to the situation and the department’s Vigilance Teams are observing due vigil. We now have stringent norms in place and won’t let the defaulters go scot-free.”
He informed that action for initiation of criminal proceedings under relevant sections of the Essential Commodities Act (ECA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) such as cheating and criminal conspiracy is on and Blacklisting of the Mill for three years as slated in the new Custom Milling Policy of the department has been ordered.
“It is a straight case of cheating and direct loss to the exchequer. We will put in our might to check this practice,” said the Minister.
It is pertinent to mention that bringing and selling unaccounted paddy and rice in Punjab from other States was common in past. Such firms/traders strike a deal with the buyer and sell unaccounted paddy/rice. Bogus billing in name of farmers is done to show that the paddy has been purchased from Punjab mandi and the firms pocket the difference between MSP and rate on which paddy is purchased from such traders which may range from Rs 200 to 300 per quintal.
It has been observed that generally, rice/paddy is diverted from the States like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
