PANJIM: Though the Chief Minister has given a clean chit to the Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department in the entire food grains smuggling case, the details of the investigation by the Crime Branch reveal that this misappropriation is unlikely to have been executed without the involvement of the officials
Civil supplies didn’t check why distribution went down, while records showed supplies; thumb impressions were not matched with the Aadhaar card database of ration card holders. This was an indicator that the FPS owners were faking ration distribution by using the facility.
However, the cheating by the corrupt elements continued. It is noteworthy that the Civil Supplies Department did not file a complaint against these anomalies that were noticed in the entire system.
The Crime Branch is nearly certain that a big racket of fair price shop owners, officials of Civil Supplies, and the foodgrains black marketers has executed the smuggling of thousands of tons of grains which was being sold to buyers outside Goa.
The fact that the Civil Supplies department suspended their two officials, after the Crime Branch raids, and is in the process to fit GPS to their transport vehicles is enough indication that all is not well in the department.
Goa Civic and Consumer Action Network (GOACAN) coordinator, Roland Martins while speaking on the manner in which FPS shops conduct business, informed that many outlets use their own vehicles to ferry foodgrains and stock to their shops.
“I had received a complaint that some fair price shop owners keep the grains in their private vehicles throughout the month claiming that it is to avoid mites. This is a clear indicator that there is something fishy in their way of operations”.
While there are allegations that there are attempts to douse off the food grains case the opposition parties have started criticising the Government for being oblivious to the fact that this was happening under their nose.
HEARING OF FOODGRAINS SMUGGLING ADJOURNED TO NOV 21
The hearing over the anticipatory bail of the prime accused in the food grains scam accused Sachin Naik Borkar has been adjourned for the want of Police say. The bail pleas of Sachin and another accused Virendra Mardolkar will be now heard on November 21. Sachin along with Virendra Mardolkar has been absconding since Tuesday after the Crime Branch raid.
The Crime Branch has meanwhile started checking on the inward/registers of the Civil Supply warehouses. The Crime Branch has started an inquiry into the affairs of Cortalim, Ponda, and Borim warehouses. Sources have informed that the heads of the Curchorem and Quepem warehouses have already been suspended after a similar misappropriation had come to light some months ago.
With the prime accused still at large, the police are yet to get a sense of how the racket worked.
