A new development has come to fore in the scam of supply of poultry grade rice in custom milling by mill owners of Balaghat and Mandla district. On the orders of Principal Secretary, Food Department, Collector of Balaghat has ordered for opening of all those mills and godowns which were earlier sealed after the complaints. As a matter of fact, no action was taken against the rice millers. Earlier, the Collector had ordered for sealing of mills and godowns and lodging of FIR against rice millers but when inquiry was handed over to Economic Offences Wing (EOW) then no FIR was lodged by the district administration. The EOW teams has only scrutinised the documents of the rice millers but in between orders has been issued for opening of the rice mills.

 

MLA and State Mining Development Corporation Chairman Pradeep Jaiswal, former MP Kankar Munjare, former MLA Kishore Samrite and Madhu Bhagathas demanded CBI inquiry into the rice scam. But now with opening of the rice mills and godowns, now millers can easily shift the sub standard rice stock from their mills and godowns.

It is known fact that in the rice scam, along with millers, many officers and employees of Waraseoni and Balaghat would be under the scrutiny and then their political patronage would be under the net . Hence it seems that planned action is being taken to save all those involved in this scam and poor people who were provided inferior quality rice would not get justice.

 

Rice Industry Federation is indirectly pressuring the State Government. The federation has informed that millers have contract with the Civil Supply Corporation, Mark Fed for custom milling and it does not state which quality of rice to be taken, its guideline is decided by the government. Hence the administration does not have information of this contract. As per the contract, if quality of rice supplied is not good, then it can be changed and in previous years it has been done also. The contract does not have provison of sealing the mills, godown or lodging FIR on the millers.

SDM, Waraseoni, Sandeep Singh and his team opened the seal of the warehouse at Nevargaon. Warehouse owner Gambhir Sancheti informed that he had submitted a litigation before the High Court against the action of district administration. He had also presented his part before Food Department then order were issued for opening of the warehouse and reconnection of the power supply. Hence now all the sealed 18 rice mills and warehouse of the area have been opened once again. Now Federation would withdraw its litigation from the High Court.

 

Local media has raised their protest when they were not allowed by district administration for coverage when seal of mills and warehouse were being opened by officers.