Bhubaneswar: Irregularities in the procurement process of polythene pouches meant for packaging milk at the Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation Limited (OMFED) had been alleged earlier. The tender to procure the polythene pouches was floated during FY 2015-16.
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In regard to these irregularities the Odisha Lokayukta served notices Thursday afternoon to the state Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra and Principal Secretary Department of Culture (former Chairman-cum-Managing Director of OMFED) Bishnupada Sethy. The senior bureaucrats have been asked to file their respective replies in the next six months.
Notably, a complaint in this regard was previously filed by RTI activist Pradeep Pradhan who had alleged that, the erstwhile CMD of OMFED Sethy resorted to ‘corrupt practices’ in the procurement process.
Poly film packaging materials had been procured from M/s Kamala Agency during the period from August 2015 to June 2016.
Despite repeated appeals made to the then chief secretary to launch a probe and take necessary action to recover the huge losses caused to the state-owned dairy utility, nothing was done.
On being contacted, the RTI activist Pradhan alleged, “No action has been taken yet.”
PNN