Anomaly detected in 15 Karnal mills’ stocks

ERRING UNITS TO

FACE ACTION FOR NOT RETURNING RICE TO GOVT; PROPERTIES OF 8 MILLS TO BE ATTACHED

KARNAL: Two days before the deadline of returning rice to the government, officials detected anomaly in the stocks of 15 mills in Karnal during the physical verification conducted on the orders of deputy commissioner (DC).

Stock at 41 mills was physically verified by a team led by additional deputy commissioner Ashok Bansal, which found five mills short of 100 to 1,400 quintals of rice. Two mills did not disclose the details, while one was found locked.

The development has raised questions on the government’s Custom Milling Policy as these mills were verified thrice since the procurement was done in November last year.

ADC Bansal said, “We have provided the report of all 41 rice mills to the DC. While the stock at five rice mills was below the record, stock at 10 mills was found to be surplus.”

He did not disclose the gap in the paddy allotted to the mill and their current stock. The officials did not even recommend action against the mills with the gap below 100 quintals. As many as 139 mills were authorised for the procurement and milling of rice for government agencies and 11.47 lakh MT paddy was given to them for the purpose. Officials associated with the investigation said rice worth over ₹260 crore is yet to be returned by 41 mills to the government’s food and supplies department, deadline of which is July 15.

Soon after reports of irregularities in stocks at two rice mills had emerged, Karnal DC ordered physical verification of all such mills in the district.

“We have completed the physical verification of 45 rice mills. We have recommended attachment of properties of owners of 16 mills which returned less than 60% rice,” said Karnal district food and supplies controller Nishant Rathi.

He did not disclose the figures of the missing rice citing confidentiality, but made it clear that the government had all rights to make recovery from the erring mills.

DC Nishant Yadav said, “We have written to the government to attach the properties of eight rice mills and these will be blacklisted.”