EOW Exposes Extensive Fraud in Madhya Pradesh's Paddy Procurement
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Synopsis
The EOW's extensive investigation into paddy procurement fraud in Madhya Pradesh has unveiled significant corruption involving over 20,000 quintals of paddy. The findings indicate widespread document forgery and collaboration among transporters and warehouses, prompting urgent legal action.
Key Takeaways
- Massive fraud uncovered in paddy procurement.
- Involvement of committee members and transporters.
- Raids conducted on 150 procurement committees.
- Discovery of 19,910.53 quintals of fraudulent paddy.
- Legal action against 79 officials initiated.
Bhopal, March 7 (NationPress) In a comprehensive operation targeting corruption across various cooperative committees, the Madhya Pradesh Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has revealed fraudulent schemes involving the procurement of nearly 20,000 quintals of paddy.
The agency found that members, managers, and staff within the committees were engaged in forging documents and tampering with warehouse and transport records.
This scam reaches beyond just procurement committees.
As per a statement, certain transporters, warehouses, and rice mills could also be implicated in this fraud. They bypass the e-upaj portal through the fraudulent registration of farmers and the creation of fictitious procurement records.
A number of procurement committees have been caught registering farmers who did not actually sell any paddy, falsely claiming procurement on the e-upaj portal.
They subsequently generate bogus transport and warehouse records, allowing payments to be processed based on the quantities reported by the committee. This deception costs the government crores of rupees annually.
Acting on the directives of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, the EOW initiated a statewide operation against this extensive paddy procurement fraud.
The agency conducted raids on 150 procurement committees and 140 warehouses across 12 districts.
During these operations, the EOW uncovered alarming evidence of fraud and misappropriation involving the procurement of 19,910.53 quintals of paddy, valued at around Rs 5 crore, as stated in their report.
To date, the investigation has encompassed 150 Upaj Samitis and 140 warehouses in districts such as Balaghat, Jabalpur, Dindori, Rewa, Satna, Maihar, Sagar, Patna, Gwalior, Namdapuram, Narsinghpur, and Bhopal. Chief Minister Yadav has instructed the EOW to pursue strict legal measures against the fraudsters.
In Satna, a warehouse was found containing 535 quintals of husk instead of paddy, underscoring the breadth of this scam.
According to the statement, legal proceedings are already in motion against over 79 officials from various procurement committees.
The dedicated efforts of 25 EOW teams are anticipated to reveal additional fraudulent activities in numerous other committees.
Reports of discrepancies in paddy procurement have been pouring in from various regions within the state.
Chief Minister Yadav has mandated the EOW to enact effective measures to combat this scam. Following his guidance, 25 teams were assembled to conduct statewide raids.
At the Kanak warehouse in Satna, the investigative agency discovered husk instead of 535 quintals of paddy, which had been stored by Seva Sahakari Samiti Pindra and Seva Sahakari Samiti Hiraundi, both in District Satna.
These committees perpetrated fraud involving the procurement of 4,203 quintals of paddy. Likewise, 16 committees in Balaghat district engaged in fraudulent procurement or false claims, as per the report.
At the Sarhari center in Dindori district, the EOW unveiled fraud regarding the procurement of 1,053 quintals of paddy.
A committee in Chhirari, Sagar district, was implicated in producing fake procurement records and falsifying documents for the procurement of 401 quintals of paddy. The EOW will persist with its efforts, with more scams likely to come to light.
The agency is also looking into the roles of transporters, warehouses, and rice mills implicated in this fraud, as the statement further elaborates.
