Surendranagar police on Friday seized 376 bags of wheat and 10 bags of rice from a house in Dhrangadhra town following a tip-off that the stock meant for distribution at subsidised rates under the public distribution system (PDS) was diverted to the house. A team of Dhrangadhra town police and a special operation group of Surendranagar district police conducted a joint raid at the house in Khari Sheri area. According to police, five labourers were emptying bags of wheat and then turning them inside out and refilling them with the same stock. “We had got a tip-off that an accounted consignment of PDS wheat and rice was laying in the house, belonging to one Popat Mevada. Mevada’s nephew Gopal was sourcing the PDS wheat and rice illegally. He would hide government markings on the bags by turning them inside-out and sell them at market rates. Five labourers who were emptying the bags and repacking them were questioned. They said they were working on behalf of Gopal,” Dhrangadhra town police inspector Nirav Vyas said. Vyas said that during the raid, police seized 376 bags of wheat, 10 bags of rice, six bags of gram and three bags of toor dal. Along with the PDS ration, the police also seized 113 empty jute bags, 350 empty plastic bags and some materials used for sealing and opening ration bags. The seized consignment is collectively worth Rs 82,000, police said. “We had informed local officers of state civil supplies department and they confirmed that the stock belonged to government and was meant for distribution at subsidised rates. We have seized the consignment and efforts are on to trace Gopal,” Vyas said. Police said that the consignment has been seized under Section 102 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and an enquiry has been initiated.
