Chhatrapur: At least eight Civil Supply department officers and 10 mill owners have landed in soup after an audit report revealed about the irregularities in the supply of rice worth Rs 1.72 crore here in Ganjam district.
Acting on the direction of the MD, Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited (OSCSCL), Ganjam civil supply officer (CSO) has framed draft charges against the eight former officers of the department.
Among them are the former CSO, supply inspector (SI) and marketing officer (MO). Interestingly, the former CSO has even retired. The Ganjam district administration is all set to register cases as per the OPDR Act, 1962 against the 10 defaulting millers.
The district collector has directed the tehsildars to prepare a list of both movable and immovable properties of the default millers for further action. Among them are two millers each from Polasara, Khallikote and Rangeilunda blocks and one each from Purushottampur, Aska, Kabisuryanagar and Dharakote blocks.
Unfortunately, one of the rice mill owners has passed away. But, the district collector has directed officials to prepare a list of movable and immovable properties of his kin.
As soon as the list is submitted in the Collectorate, a case will be registered against them as per the OPDR Act, sources said.
It is alleged that the 10 rice mill owners had procured paddy for milling. They were supposed to return rice after milling in the 2021-22 fiscal. However, the 10 millers have not yet returned the rice worth Rs 1.72 crore.
Despite repeated reminders by the Civil Supplies Corporation, the defaulting millers are yet to shell out their dues. On the other hand, it is suspected that the Civil Supplies department officers are hand in gloves with the mill owners in the scam.
The OSCSCL has been sending reminders to the district Civil Supplies department to submit necessary documents and papers about the irregularities. But the top officers and other officials had allegedly not taken any action in this direction and tried to cover up the matter.