Three kilos are being pilfered from a sack of ration rice, 600 kilos from 200 sacks, vigilance notices new methods of fraud

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite Food Department’s intelligence unit finding that at least one tonne of ration rice is being pilfered from many places including godowns of civil supplies', no further action or departmental action was taken following high-level intervention. Ordinary officials in the same department have complained that this is why the smuggling of ration rice is unregulated. With the distribution of free rations by the central and state governments, there has been a huge increase in the smuggling of rice. The findings of the preliminary inspection conducted by the vigilance unit following the findings of grain in the NFSA godown in Valiyathura are shocking.

206 sacks of grains will arrive in one load. Six sacks of grains are a substitute for the weight of a sack. These six sacks will be shifted from the godown. There are 50 kg of rice in a sack. 300 kg of rice were pilfered from six sacks. Then when each sack is taken, three to five kilograms of rice will be taken. When three kilograms each are pilfered, 600 kgs of rice are obtained from 200 sacks. Thus 900 kg of rice (18 sacks) is stolen from a single load. The loss of it will be faced by the consumers. More than a hundred loads reach the godowns every month. It was found that 1800 sacks of rice would go to the hands of black marketers.

The vigilance in May 2019 found that at least 10,000 tonnes of rice was being smuggled into the black market every month. Subsequent inspections across the state confirmed the smuggling. The erring employees were suspended. However, once the lockdown was imposed, the old lobby came to the fore. In October 2020, it was found that ration rice was being smuggled in the market at Mananthavady in Wayanad in packets. Despite the department minister himself asking for an inquiry, officials sabotaged the probe.