Millers of Bargarh have provided wrong information regarding milling capacity of their mills, revealed in an RTI expose. With reference to the complaint of the RTI activist the State government has initiated action against the millers.
As per the information, the rice millers of Bargarh district have mentioned excess milling capacity than the real milling capacity of their mills while registering online to avail custom milling allotment. The millers are availing excess quantity of paddy for custom milling from the Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd. The role of Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation in distribution of paddy for custom milling is doubtful. Apart from complaining about the above the activist has also provided the list of 105 rice mills involved in the rice procurement procedure in the district. He has provided detail with the original capacity of the mills and the capacity mentioned while registering online. The state government has given ordered to investigate after receiving the complaint.
According to the information, Niranjan Nayak, Managing Director, Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation has written to the district collector vide letter no 7065 on 22 April 2016 to investigate about the matter.
Papers of 40 mills are okayed and have provided right information; whereas, 9 millers have registered with lower capacity than their original capacity. The rest 56 rice mills have shown higher capacity than their original capacity. The government is also allotting them according to the provided custom milling capacity. When a rice mill is included in the custom rice milling procedure, a physical verification procedure is carried out to check it.
Further, the state government had order the District Collector for investigation of the matter. The District Collector delegates the case to the ADM Bargarh and ADM Padampur. But the ADMs failed to provide the investigation report. Now, Bijay Kumar Prusty, Deputy Secretary, Food and Civil Supply Department has again ordered, vide letter no 9336 4th May 2016, for a joint investigation regarding the complaint. The order has been released from the Chief Secretary, Food Supply and Consumer Welfare Department Odisha. According to the order, a task force will be constituted including Director, District Industry Centre, District Supply Officer and WESCO officers. This task force will visit each rice mill for physical verification.
But sources revealed, the millers of the district are not obeying the government orders and with money and political power they are acting on their own.