Ethanol rice diversion case snowballs: Notices to 6 mills in MP, Maharashtra; local neta’s family unit under scanner
The SIT widened its probe into the alleged diversion of government rice meant for ethanol, issuing notices to six rice mills across Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Investigators suspect a large inter-state racket involving 1.4 lakh quintals of rice, with 117 trucks identified for seizure.
BHOPAL: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged diversion of government rice meant for ethanol production has significantly widened its probe, issuing notices to around six rice mills in Balaghat, Seoni and neighbouring Gondia district of Maharashtra as investigators examine what they suspect could be a much larger inter-state diversion network.
Sources said one of the rice mills served with a notice is operated by family members of an influential local political leader, whose role is now under the scanner.
Investigators, however, stressed that the inquiry is at a preliminary stage and no adverse findings have been recorded against the family.
The expansion of the probe follows the FIR registered on the complaint of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) after a consignment of government rice meant for AVJ Agrico Pvt Ltd’s ethanol plant in Chhindwara was allegedly found inside Sancheti Rice Mill at Waraseoni instead of reaching its designated destination.
SP Aditya Mihra said investigations are being conducted in two phases and the first one is focused on siphoning 5000 MT rice; the remaining 11k MT would be examined in the second phase.
Based on the FIR and subsequent findings, the SIT has now expanded its investigation to cover around 1.4 lakh quintals of rice suspected to have been diverted under the Centre’s ethanol procurement policy.
The seizure drive has also intensified. While 20 trucks carrying suspected diverted rice have been seized so far, investigators said the operation is far from over. “A total of 117 trucks have been identified for seizure as part of the investigation,” a senior official associated with the probe told TOI.
Investigators said one striking feature common to almost every seizure has been the absence of transport records.
“None of the truck drivers intercepted so far has been able to produce receipts, delivery challans, gate passes or any other documents showing that the rice was being transported to ethanol plants,” sources said. The absence of documentation has strengthened suspicions that consignments were being diverted before reaching their intended destinations.
Police are now matching FCI dispatch records, GPS movement, weighbridge entries and rice mill records to reconstruct the movement of every consignment.
The case came to light on June 3, when officials intercepted a truck carrying 242.55 quintals (490 bags) of government rice near Sancheti Rice Mill in Waraseoni. The consignment had been dispatched from the FCI depot at Navegaon in Balaghat for delivery to AVJ Agrico’s ethanol plant at Borgaon in Chhindwara.
The FIR names Rahul Pratap, authorised representative of AVJ Agrico Pvt Ltd, truck driver Durgesh Shende, and rice mill owner Saurabh Sancheti. Four persons have been arrested so far of 13 named in the case.
Investigators suspect the racket exploited the Centre’s ethanol procurement policy, under which FCI supplies Fair Average Quality (FAQ) and Custom Milled Rice (CMR) to empanelled ethanol plants at subsidised rates. Instead of reaching ethanol units, consignments were allegedly diverted to private rice mills, reintroduced into the procurement and custom milling cycle and eventually sold back into the government system.
If the allegations are established, investigators believe the same stock of rice may have generated multiple payments, with the government effectively paying several times for the same consignment, causing losses running into crores of rupees.
Meanwhile, FCI has reportedly submitted its internal inquiry report to its headquarters in New Delhi, maintaining that there was no violation of policy in the allocation of rice to the ethanol unit.
To Read more about Rice News continue reading Agriinsite.com
Source : The Times Of India
