Foodgrains lifted illegally in 2012, 2013; cases booked against three persons now

It was meant for people of Hosa Kempaiana Hundi

Cases have been booked against three persons for allegedly lifting foodgrains illegally from the Karnataka State Food Corporation under the Public Distribution System from October 2012 to June 2013.

Senior Deputy Director of Food and Civil Supplies Department K. Rameshwarappa told The Hindu that he had filed the complaint against M. Shivaprasad, Basavaraj and Kumar in T. Narasipura police station a few days ago.

According to him, a person called S. Ramu was running a fair price shop in Hosa Kempaiana Hundi in T. Narasimpura taluk, and he had died about three years ago. The Food and Civil Supplies Department was in the process of allotting the fair price shop to some one else when Basavaraj and Kumar lifted the foodgrains illegally stating that they were given the authority to lift it for distribution among the people of Kempaiana Hundi. Though the depot manager had demanded documents to corroborate their claims, the three had threatened the depot manager of serious consequences and lifted the foodgrains forcibly. After lifting the foodgrains from the warehouse, the three had not distributed it to beneficiaries, he added.

Mr. Rameshwarappa said that the Deputy Commissioner of Mysuru, after examining various records, had instructed the Deputy Director to file criminal cases against the three persons. “Hence I have filed a complaint against the three,” he said and wished the police would soon initiate action against the three.

Earlier, based on the complaints of people of Kempaiana Hundi that food grains had not been supplied to them, the Lokayukta had instructed the Deputy Director to verify the veracity of the complaints and if the complaints were true, take action against the fair price shop that lifted the foodgrains to be distributed among people of Kempaiana Hundi.

After a detailed probe into it, the department realised that foodgrains had not been distributed to the Hundi residents, Rameshwarappa said, adding that he would soon sanction a new fair price depot to Kempaiana Hundi and release foodgrains to it.

Meanwhile, a departmental enquiry has also been ordered against the then Executive Officer of T. Narasipura taluk panchayat, the then tahsildar, food shirethedar and two food inspectors, Mr. Rameshwarappa added.

Officials claim that the grain was taken away forcibly from October 2012 to June 2013, and now cases have been registered against some taluk panchayat officials also