To check quality, CBI raids food corporation godowns in Raikot
Mahesh Sharma
Raikot/Mandi Ahmedgarh, Apr 17
Officials at regional offices of Food Corporation of India and owners of rice shellers undertaking milling of the government paddy during past years, were panicked after a CBI team raided godowns of the central food agency situated at Raikot early morning on Saturday.
Though the raiding team led by Sandeep Dhawan did not disclose the purpose behind the raid, sources revealed that the process is part of CBI action to check quality of wheat and paddy, which is meant to be exported to southern and eastern states for distribution among the poor through the public distribution system of those states.
However FCI officials led by Ashok Kumar and Amarjit Vatish maintained that the surprise checking was a routine exercise. Investigations revealed that an elaborate team of CBI officials thronged the FCI godowns in three vehicles at about 5 am on Saturday. Having covered almost all units simultaneously, the officials called Manager Ashok Kumar along with his aides for verification of stocks and collection of samples from different stacks. Amarjit Vatish, who had recently been transferred to Mullanpur was also called later in the day.
While the officials were still checking records and stocks at the time of filing this report, it was yet to be ascertained if the action would be concluded today. Further investigation revealed that the sleuths would take samples to their laboratories to check the quality of central food grain stocks pertaining to past years.
A rice sheller owner, on condition of anonymity, said inputs by the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau had earlier given reports to the Centre that the rice sheller owners had been delivering substandard rice to the FCI in the central pool by conniving with the food agency officials.
