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Multi-crore foodgrains scam referred to CBI

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Saturday referred the multi-crore foodgrains scandal to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The action follows a recommendation of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) which was asked to conduct a probe into the scam dating from March 2004 to October 2005 relating to the districts of Sitapur and Gonda.

The case had been entrusted to SIT in August this year. Since in its report submitted to the Government recently SIT concluded that the scam covered around 31 districts and was to the tune of an estimated Rs.35,000 crore with national and international ramifications, the Chief Minister decided to recommend a CBI inquiry into the scandal.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, State Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh said that SIT in its report mentioned large-scale irregularities and fraud involving allotment of foodgrains to families living below the poverty line under the Antvodaya, Annapurna, Mid-day Meal Scheme, BPL Scheme and Sampoorn Gramin Rozgar Yojana that ended up in large-scale pilferage. The SIT report indicated alleged involvement of high officials of different government departments and private contractors.

Mr. Singh said the SIT report described the scandal as a pre-planned conspiracy involving use of fake documents.

For instance, the SIT team found that in one district (Gonda) around 300 trucks were registered for carrying foodgrains but following investigations it was found that the registration numbers were those of two-wheelers, the Cabinet Secretary added.

Further, the SIT probe revealed that the scandal had national and international ramifications in which Central Government agencies like the India Railways, nationalised banks and the Food Corporation of India also allegedly had a role.

Several petitions were filed in the Allahabad High Court in which the petitioners demanded a CBI inquiry. Mr. Singh said that in its order dated March 24, 2005, on petition No. 1126 (M/B), the High Court said given the scale and seriousness of the scandal along with the possibility of involvement of highly-placed persons the Government should consider referring the investigation to the CBI.

The Cabinet Secretary described the scam as the country’s biggest foodgrains scandal and said the Chief Minister took a strong view of the fact that foodgrain meant for the poor had been sold in national and international markets.

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