Multi crore scam in FCS&CA Deptt
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Jan 28: At least Rs 67 crore worth food grains meant for the Government ration stores in the State has been found missing as officials of the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs have siphoned it off.
Around 2700 Goods carriers including Trawlers loaded with sugar, atta and rice went missing across the State between 2014 and 2016 after leaving from the Food Corporation of India (FCI) godowns as the FCS&CA officials have allegedly sold it in the black market.
The missing ration that was sold in the black market included that was meant as flood relief for victims of devastative 2014 deluge in Kashmir and parts of Jammu region. Sources said that the top officials of the FCSCA are involved in the scam.
The scam was detected by the Auditors of the Accountant General’s (AG) office in the State. The statement of facts (SOF) sent by the AG (Audit) to the Director FCSCA Kashmir (vide No. GS-J-1/2016-17/H&T/CAPD/62 dated 11.08.2016) said that registration records of the vehicles of private transporters involved in the act as provided by the State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) for transportation of the food grains were verified with the records of the Regional Transport Offices Kashmir and they failed to match.
“In 1137 trips (food grains) against which payments have been made for the period in respect of sampled vouchers did not match with the type, specification or nature of vehicles actually registered with the RTOs”, read the SOF.
The vehicles that were shown to have carried around 1400 metric tons of food grains turned out to be scooters, motor cycles, three wheelers, cars, jeeps, tractors and even LMVs of some State Government departments. “In certain other cases registration numbers of vehicles against which payment had been drawn, have yet not been allotted by the RTOs. It has resulted in the misappropriation of funds on account of transportation charges of Rs 42.42 lakhs and siphoning of food grains of 1377 MT costing Rs 29.95crore”, read the SOF.
The statement of facts sent by the AG (Audit) to the Director FCSCA Jammu (vide No. GS-J-1/2016-17/H&T/CAPD/63 dated 11.08.2016) that records of the private vehicles provided by the SRTC for transportation of food grains in were scrutinized by audit against collateral and supporting records and vouchers for transportation, loading and unloading and challan registers maintained by the offices of the FCSCA in Jammu and Udhampur.
The registration records of 1536 vehicles that carried the food grains were verified with the records of the RTOs in Jammu region but they failed to match and were the registration numbers of scooters, motor cycles, three wheelers, cars, Jeeps, tractors and even LMVs of some State Government Departments. “In certain other cases, registration numbers of vehicles against which payment had been drawn, have yet not been allotted by the RTOs. It has resulted in the misappropriation of funds on account of transportation charges Rs 1.03 crore and siphoning of food grains 1494 MT costing of Rs 35.74 crore”, read the SOF.
The office of the Accountant General (Audit) has written several letters to the Department of the FCSCA for last two years seeking detailed reply to their findings about embezzlements and siphoning of money. The latest letter (No: SS-J-12/2018-19/CAPD/SA/2 dated 04-0102019) addressed to Commissioner/Secretary FCSCA with subject -“Special Audit of Hiring of Vehicles for Transportation of Food grains by CAPD department- Misappro-priation of funds and siphoning off food grains to the tune of Rs 77.06 crore”- read: “…It is therefore requested that both the Directors of the CAPD (Kashmir and Jammu) be directed to provide the detailed reply to the SOF (Statement of Facts) and may provide cooperation to the audit teams to update audit findings”.
However, so far there has been no response from the Director FCS&CA Kashmir and Director FCS&CA Jammu.
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