The Legal Metrology Department here on Thursday decided to issue notices to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for using iron weights without mandatory stamping of the department, sub-standard weighing machines and short weighing of the procured rice.
The department sleuths not only detected under weighing of rice bags meant for distribution to fair price shops during a surprise raid conducted at the godown in Cherlapally on Wednesday night but also found ‘illegal’ iron weights of 50 kg, 20 kg and 10 kg being used sans the department mark.
“We registered one case for delivering short weighing of rice bags and five more cases for keeping sub-standard weighing machines against the FCI,” said Ranga Reddy District Assistant Controller V. Srinivas.
On receiving a tip off, a five-member team led by the Regional Deputy Controller (Hyderabad) U. Vimal Babu intercepted a lorry carrying the rice to be distributed to the Mandal Level Stock Points (MLSPs) from where it was to be distributed to the fair price shops (ration shops).
The lorry was loaded with 300 bags but found it to be short of 95.6 kg rice. There were 305 bags in the lorry but in the receipt it was mentioned as 300 bags raising doubts about the origin of the extra five bags.
The vehicle was then brought to the godown and all bags were re-weighed on the electronic weighing machines when the discrepancy was detected.
Rice procurement is done through the official paddy purchase centres in various parts of the State from the farmers and also brokers by paying the minimum support price affixed by the government. The rice thus procured is stored in the FCI godowns, Andhra Pradesh State Warehousing Corporation and the Central Warehousing Corporation to be later distributed to the MLSPs and then onwards to the ration shops. The raids were carried out following complaints of short weighing, Mr. Srinivas added.
