PANJIM: The Crime Branch (CB) on Tuesday conducted three raids in Curti, Borim and Kundaim and arrested five persons for allegedly smuggling food grains from Civil Supplies warehouse to a private warehouse. The grains were reportedly being sent to Karnataka.
The CB is also on the lookout for two persons from Ponda, who are reportedly the prime accused of the entire smuggling racket.
The CB has registered three FIRs in the matter wherein rice and wheat were being smuggled and taken to Karnataka in trucks. Sachin Naik Borkar from Ponda is the main accused in the racket, who allegedly owns a private warehouse and the other accused is Virendra Mardolkar. However, both are at large.
According to the police, the accused ran a racket of smuggling of rice and wheat from the Civil Supplies warehouse to a location in Karnataka. As many 581 rice bags and 256 wheat bags along with other grains worth almost Rs 10 lakh were seized till late evening. The grains were reportedly stolen from the Civil Supplies warehouses situated at Sanguem, Ponda and Panjim.
The CB arrested Hazrat Ali Sayed from Tiswadi, Vinay Kumar Guddemani and Prakash both from Karnataka, Tausif Mulla and Ram Kumar while, two trucks and three pickup vehicles have also been seized during the raid. According to the police, the arrested truck driver has confirmed to having ferried the grains from Civil Supplies warehouse to the private warehouse at Curti.
While the CB raids continued in the afternoon, the Director of Civil Supplies Gopal Parsekar said he has no clue of the raids. When asked whether they had filed a complaint of the pilferage he replied in the negative.
The Civil Supplies Department had been in news recently after it was exposed of wasting tur dal which was left to rot in godowns.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the Crime Branch has conducted raids and has registered cases. “The CB has taken strong action. I have sought a report from them and an inquiry will be conducted into the matter,” he said adding that “stern action will be taken against those found involved.”
According to Sawant, “While conducting the stock check, the department realised the shortcoming. We will inquire since when this is happening.”
Civil Supplies Min clueless on raids
PONDA: Civil Supplies Minister Ravi Naik on Tuesday feigned ignorance on having any information about the Crime Branch raids on State-run godowns in Ponda taluka where five persons were arrested.
Addressing mediapersons along with Director of Civil Supplies Gopal Parsekar, Naik said, “I have no idea about raids on godowns and seizure of rice by Crime Branch. Our main aim is to supply the ration quotas to the beneficiaries.”
He said, “If any ration cardholder buys rice and sells the same to others then it’s their decision. We are not responsible for that. Following the news of the raids, we will check our stock of available rice and foodgrain quota lying with fair price shops (FPS) and godowns. The Civil Supplies Department’s duty is to supply the rice from its godowns to FPS and ensure it reaches the ration cardholders.”
However, he said the officials of the Civil Supplies Department will take stock of available ration quota in each godown across Goa and after the inspection, the officials will provide further details to media.
He said, “There are 11 godowns and 454 fair price shops in Goa. We receive ration quotas from Food Corporation of India (FCI) at our main godown in Vasco which is later supplied to all godowns across Goa.”
Naik said, “Following complaints, two flying squads have been formed,one each in North and South Goa.The squads will conducts raids on godowns and FPS. In a recent raid by Civil Supplies officials at Quepem, an inspector and godown keeper were suspended for alleged mismanagement and an inquiry has commenced. We will continue with our raids.”
The minister said,“The State government is committed to ensure that the ration quota reachesthe beneficiaries. The government will directly supply ration quota from godowns to FPS and a tender has been floated in this regard. In future,the government plans to supply ration quota directly at the doorstep of ration cardholders.”
