State govt to challenge order quashing FIR against miller

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 18

Even as the Patiala police have registered an FIR of cheating and fraud against 17 officials of Pungrain and Punjab Agro Foodgrain Corporation, the state government is all set to file an appeal against the lower court order of quashing the FIR registered against Nabha-based rice miller Manpreet Singh Dhillon.

Officials in the Food and Civil Supplies Department alleged that the FIR against the officials was registered without the department being intimated by the police. “It is strange that the FIR is registered based on an inquiry demanded by the accused six years ago,” said a top official.

They allege that the Nabha court had ordered quashing of FIR registered against the miller, but it did not seek a case against the department.

Denying that there was any lapse on part of the officers for procuring Paddy 201 variety, the officials said the variety itself was found to be not up to mark. “This was brought to the notice of the Centre and they even allowed for an upgrade charge of Rs 200 per quintal to be given to the rice mills. Despite this, Pungrain and PAFC found that the stock of both paddy and rice with these rice mills was much less. It is for this shortfall that cases were registered against the mill owners,” said a senior Pungrain official.

The Food department has come up with an extensive policy to stop the pilferage of paddy. Anandita Mitra, Director, Food and Supplies, and Managing Director of Pungrain, said they had made it mandatory for all millers to install CCTV cameras; and fire extinguishers to ensure minimal damage in case of fire. “We have even introduced bank guarantees for any mill getting over 5,000 quintals of paddy for milling. It has also been decided that each mill will get paddy from only one state procurement agency. When mills were getting paddy from two agencies, they would pilfer the paddy and show one agency’s stock to the other agency’s inspectors,” she said.