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| Ex-CAPD Minister's arbitrary order of grinding wheat costs Rs 662 lakh, reveals RTI | | | ET Report
JAMMU, Oct 10: A major wheat grinding scandal has surfaced in the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) department involving former Minister Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan whose arbitrary order of 100 percent wheat grinding has so far cost the exchequer a whopping Rs 662.50 lakh.
The department is still incurring losses to the tune of Rs 26.50 lakh on monthly basis.
This has been revealed by the CAPD department in response to an RTI application filed by former senior vice-president of National Conference (NC) and RTI activist Dr. Rehmatullah Khora.
Dr Khora has filed a case against Ramzan and has submitted all the relevant documents. He has alleged that prior to Ramzan's appointment as CAPD Minister, the department used to supply ration to its consumers which included rice, sugar, kerosene oil and 50% wheat and 50% flour.
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) used to dump the ration in their stores in far-flung areas of J&K and from these stores the CAPD department used to lift the required rations. Hence, no freight charges were expended by the CAPD Deptt and in turn were saving huge money for the State.
In the case filed by RTI activist, he has quoted the order number 56-CAPD Deptt of 2013, dated 9/9/2013, issued by the then Secretary CAPD department, M. Abass Dar, which reads: "Sanction is accorded to the issuance of 100% whole wheat atta (means 100 percent grinding) through public distribution system henceforth".
Due to the decision of providing 100% wheat Atta, CAPD department started incurring losses to the tune of Rs 26.50 lakh on monthly basis, which was authenticated by department itself in response to the RTI application. The CAPD has so far paid Rs 662.50 lakh to the mill owners.
The RTI activist said that since it was a major policy decision and was supposed to be taken in a Cabinet meeting, but the then CAPD Minister took the decision on his own.
"In addition to monthly loss of Rs. 26.50 lakh, the department also has been incurring losses on account of transportation charges from the mills to the stores of CAPD in the respective districts," he said, adding that the expenditure could have been avoided if the previous routine of distribution of ration would have been continued.
He has made another assertion in the case filed before SAC, saying, "As per documents obtained, the mills does not have the capacity to grind the required quantity of wheat, which has resorted to pilferage of wholesome wheat in the market and also the moisture content of the flour was reportedly increased in order to make the quantity as per record of distribution." |
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