FIR against owners of 18 rice mills in Waraseoni region
   Date :04-Sep-2020

FIR _1  H x W:
 
 
 
Staff Reporter :
 
Power connections of all these mills to be cut for supplying sub-standard rice n Mills and godowns sealed 
 
The warehouses and fair price shops of Balaghat district were inspected by Deputy Commissioner, Government of India, Vishwajeet Haldhar during the period from July 30 to August 2. During this inspection, sub-standard rice was found in the godowns of Balaghat district which was not fit to be consumed by humans and was found to be of low grade under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. Taking this situation into consideration, a ban has been imposed on the immediate submission of rice from the concerned millers.
 
Collector Deepak Arya directed to immediately register an FIR against the owners of 18 rice mills and nine employees of Warehouse Corporation and Civil Supplies Corporation. Warehouses have also been sealed. It may be mentioned that Haldhar had taken the samples of the rice supplied to the government by the rice millers from the warehouses of Balaghat and Mandla districts after custom milling. Samples were checked, out of which 31 samples were found to be defective.
 
The rice quality was so bad that they were not fit to be consumed by animals also. After the report of sample of rice, a letter issued by the Central Government created a stir in State’s politics. After this, on the instructions of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, rice mills supplying non-standard level rice identified as Gambhir Sancheti, owner of Sancheti Rice Udyog Waraseoni, Bhojesh Pardhi, owner of Maa Durga Rice Mill, Hulesh Katre, owner of Laxmi Rice Udyog, Sancheti Sartex, owner Gaurav Sancheti, Anand Kumar Thakre, owner of Shree Kumar’s Rice Mill, Gagandas Somani owner of Akash Industries, Rakesh Tolani, owner of Tolani Rice Mill, Khuman Singh Bisen, owner of Mahalaxmi Rice Mill Khamaria, Balakrishna Bisen, owner of Siddhivinayak Rice Mill Khamaria, Ravi Shankar Thackeray, owner of Baba Rice Mill Sanwagi, Hriday Shay Hirvane, owner of Bajrang Rice Mill, Baihar, Rakesh Agrawal, owner of Ambika Rice Mill, Baihar, Akash Agrawal, owner of Satakshi Rice Mill, Baihar, Sasikala Agarwal, owner of Chaitanya Prasad Agrawal Rice Mill, Baihar, Mukesh Agrawal, owner of Shree Laxmi Rice Mill Ukwa, Barkha Rani Nag, owner of V B Rice Mill, CWC Garra, Lal Chand Dhanwani owner of Maa Durga Rice Industries of CWC Garra and Geeta Traders CWC Garra, owner Deepak Dhanwani, were booked and instructions were issued to register FIR against them.
 
Along with this, instructions have been given to register FIR against R K Soni, District Manager of Civil Supplies Corporation responsible for passing the sub-standard rice, Quality Inspector (then) Nagesh Upadhyay, Quality Inspector, Mukesh Kanheria, CWC Garra’s Quality Inspector Rakesh Sen, S L Dwivedi, Baihar’s Quality Inspector Lochan Singh Tembhare, CWC Garra’s Branch Manager Vipin Bisen, Shweta Warehouse Nevergaon Branch Manager Uday Singh Rajput and MPWLC Baihar Branch Manager Jitendra Dongre. Collector Arya directed the Tehsildars of Waraseoni, Lalbarra, Paraswara and Baihar to immediately file an FIR against the owners and employees of the mills of their areas and submit a compliance report.
 
The Superintendent of Police has also been asked to file an FIR against 18 rice millers and nine employees soon. District Collector Arya has directed the Superintending Engineer of Madhya Pradesh East Region Power Distribution Company, Balaghat to immediately cut off the electricity connection of these 18 rice mills responsible for supplying non-standard level and submit compliance report. 
 
CM hands over probe of supply of sub-standard rice to EOW The issue of distribution of poor quality rice (not fit for human consumption and meant for cattle fodder) through fair price shops in Balaghat and Mandla districts has heated up and also gained political hues as Congress is making blistering attack on the Government. As BJP Government coming under fire of harsh criticism from all corners, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced in a high-level meeting that Economic Offences Wing (EOW) will investigate the case. In the meantime, former Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh has demanded CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan that case pertaining to distribution of cattle grade rice to poor people should be handed over to the CBI for investigation. Stating that he will personally complain regarding the matter to President of India and Prime Minister.
 
He asserted that image of State got stained at national-level over the issue. He said that Government tried to do away with the issue by suspending one officer and sacking two contractual employees. He asserted that he had raised the issue five days back but Government paid no attention. Taking potshots on State Government, he alleged that good quality rice was sold in market and recycled rice from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, meant for cattle, was purchased at cheap rates and supplied through fair price shops. Trying to pass the heat on Congress, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told that previous Government (headed by Kamal Nath) did not take any action in the case pertaining to receiving of sub-standard rice from Balaghat millers and distribution of it from public distribution system in February this year.
 
 
Apprehending high level nexus in the matter, he said that action will be taken against guilty after investigation. After inspection of godowns in Balaghat and Mandla, supply of rice has been stopped from godowns. In the meeting, CM Chouhan directed for comprehensive probe into the matter and said that cereal quality will be ensured across the State.