More than decade later, FIR filed in paddy purchase scam

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 8

Almost a decade after the “paddy 201” scam surfaced, an FIR has been registered against officials of two state procurement agencies, Punjab Agro Foodgrain Corporation and PUNGRAIN, on charges of cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy among others.

Officials of the two agencies are accused of having bought substandard paddy; sent it to rice mills across the state, taking the milled rice in their custody after fraudulently showing receipt of higher quantity of rice than was actually milled by the millers. On the basis of these forged documents, the officials then claimed administrative charges worth crores from Union government in the name of quality checking.

The case, registered in Nabha, does not name any officer as accused, although names of several officers surface in the complaint made by Manpreet Singh Dhillon, owner of a Nabha-based rice sheller. This is the first FIR registered in the scam, although there are several rice mill owners who have been similarly short-changed and later booked by the erring officers of the two procurement agencies for “embezzlement” of rice, when the outturn ratio (ratio in which rice is milled from paddy) was much less than the specifications given by the Centre.

These officers, however, allegedly made fake reports of physical verification of rice and showed the quantity of rice milled, in accordance with the specifications.

“The case dates back to 2007-08, when a new variety ‘Paddy 201’ was introduced in Punjab. Between 2008 and 2010, almost 30 per cent of area under non-basmati paddy was covered by this variety. The yield was much higher. However, after the procurement, it was sent to mills in 2008-09 and again in 2009-10. It was found that the grain had a reddish tinge and the breakage of grain was much higher than specified. Also, as against the specified outturn ratio or recovery of rice from paddy of 67 per cent, the recovery was just 52-55 per cent,” said Dhillon.

According to the FIR, Dhillon was allotted 3 tonnes of paddy each for custom milling by Pungrain and Punjab Agro in 2009. He has accused officers of the two agencies of buying substandard paddy and allotting the same to him and other mills. Dhillon claimed that he brought the matter to the notice of senior officers in the two procurement agencies, but to no avail. Instead, a case was registered against him in August 2012, on the charge of embezzling 6,000 quintals of rice.

Grains procured sans quality test 

• In 2007, state starts promoting 'Paddy 201' 
• Paddy procured in 2008-09 and 2009-10 without Pungrain and Punjab Agro conducting mandatory quality tests
• Rice millers asked to custom mill rice from this paddy.  After shelling, the colour was found to be reddish and breakage of grain was high
• Procurement officers allegedly forge papers to show outturn ratio in accordance with GoI specifications 967 per cent, though the recovery of rice from paddy is justify 52-55 per cent
• Millers then asked to buy rice and give quantity as forged by officers.