Govt still clueless about 10,000 quintals of missing rice

Some politicians pressurized officials to hush up matter

Srinagar, Feb 15: Thirty months having passed since 10,000 quintals of rice went missing, the State government is still clueless where the disappeared rice had gone.

The 10,000 quintals of rice went missing during the 2014 year September floods when 51 trucks of rice were dispatched from FCI godown Budgam.

The 51 trucks laden with rice went missing when the then chief minister Omar Abdullah announced free ration for six months to flood affected people.

However, government has “failed” to trace out the missing rice that was meant for flood victims of Kashmir.

Sources told KNS that some politicians had pressurized the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCSCA) officials to hush up the matter without investigating into it. “No one has been punished for that nor any recovery was made,” sources said.

A senior official of FCSCA confirmed that the file of missing rice has been shelved and government has hushed up the matter.

“No report has been submitted over the missing of the rice. It was then mere eyewash on part of the government when it told the media that an enquiry will be launched to unveil the truth,” the official said.

A former FCSCA Director in a press conference had said that they have suspended the official following missing of 51 trucks of rice, and also said that an impartial probe will be conducted into the matter.

“There is no record who had been the beneficiary of this rice. Some politicians in the previous government directed the FCSCA authorities not to dig up the matter,” a senior FCSCA official said, wishing not to be named.

He said the incumbent government in the past six weeks too made no effort to investigate the matter so that action would have been taken against the erring officials and politicians. “It seems a big rice scam since hundreds of flood victims are yet to receive the free ration while thousands of quintals had gone missing. Government must initiate an impartial probe to know who had been the beneficiaries of free ration and 51 trucks of rice,” the official said.

A senior official expressed his ignorance about the matter. (KNS)