PANJIM: The Vigilance department has sought consent of the government to chargesheet eight officials including former Director of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Siddhivinayak Naik, currently suspended for wastage of tur dal.
The Vigilance department in its inquiry has found three Goa Civil Service officers, one person from the Accounts Department and four staff from the Department of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs guilty and has recommended that major disciplinary proceedings be initiated against them. Of the eight officials, two persons retired since.
According to official sources, the eight officials will be charged individually after assessing the extent of their involvement in the wastage of 241 metric tonnes of tur dal. The inquiry has found that these officials delayed the auctioning of 241 metric tonnes of tur dal after fair prices shops refused to lift the additional quota.
The Department of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs procured 400 Mt of tur dal from the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) in April 2020 during the lockdown. It was purchased at Rs 79 per kg and the fair price shops were asked to sell it at Rs 83 per kg when the retail market price was Rs 112 per kg.
In the beginning, the fair shops lifted some quantities and later refused to lift the balance quota citing a poor response from the ration card holders. As it was found to be unfit for human consumption, the department in May last year decided to auction it. But it was not disposed off to the bidder despite the auction and allowed it to be further infected by pests and damaged in the godowns in all 12 talukas.
In August this year, the department again invited bids to dispose off the damaged tur dal and four agencies submitted their bids.
