Chhatrapur: Some millers have lifted paddy during procurement in Ganjam district, but they have not returned the rice after milling. Dues towards rice worth Rs 83 lakh is pending on them, sources said Wednesday.
Reports said, the state civil supplies corporation is repeatedly issuing reminders to its district-level counterparts to collect the dues from the erring millers. However, even after repeated reminders, the defaulting millers are yet to shell out the dues. No action is being taken also.
In such cases, there is need for filing OPDR cases against the millers. In the legal process, the lists of their movable and immovable assets are to be prepared.
Ganjam District Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange has directed the Polsara and Kallikote tehsildars to prepare list of movable and immovable properties in the names of two defaulting millers and their family members. The tehsildars have been directed to submit the lists of properties to the district civil supplies officer within three days.
The two millers who have defaulted are Budhi Ma Thakurani Rice Mill in Khallikote and Singhasini Rice Mill in Polsara block. The two millers have to pay Rs 83,59,551 towards pending rice.
Both the millers had procured paddy from farmers in 2012-13 for milling, but did not return the rice. During an audit, the state civil supplies corporation found that one of rice mills had not cleared dues to the tune of Rs 27.33 lakh while the other had to repay Rs 56.26 lakh.