Nayagarh: As many as 5,000 ghost beneficiaries are reaping the benefits of subsidised food stocks under National Food Security Act (NFSA) in Nayagarh district, sources claimed. This has allegedly promoted corruption to the tune of Rs 37,50,000 per month and Rs 4.50 crore in a year in this district. The matter came to the fore after a case was filed in the court of state Lokayukta asking for a probe into siphoning of rice and wheat meant for the actual beneficiaries. The petitioner, advocate Ranjit Das, said that a probe will only reveal for how long subsidised rice and wheat is being siphoned by these ghost beneficiaries.
In his petition, Das has made the state Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare minister, state Civil Supplies secretary, the district Collector of Nayagarh, the district civil supplies officer and all the marketing inspectors of blocks and NACs as party to the case. Das alleged that the state government had provided financial assistance of Rs 1,000 to each of the ration card holders during Covid pandemic. After all the beneficiaries received their financial assistance, the number of ghost beneficiaries now exceeds 5,000 including the ghost ration card holders of Ranpur block and NAC, he alleged.
The beneficiaries are now receiving 5-kg rice and wheat at Rs 1 per kg after the National Food Security Act-2013 came into force. He alleged that 20 to 25 kg of food stocks amounting to Rs 750 are being siphoned off monthly in the name of these 5,000 ghost beneficiaries. This takes the total amount siphoned off to Rs 37,50,000 per month and Rs 4.50 crore every year, he alleged