500 quintals of PDS grains seized from black market

District Supply Officer (DSO) Kamal Nayan Singh said: “Since the last one month,we have been receiving reports that there are several areas where foodgrain sent to the district supply unit for distribution were not being sent to PDS shops. Instead,they were being smuggled to be sold in black markets.”

On the basis of the information and the directions of the district magistrate and the Food and Civil Supplies department,raids had begun since Tuesday,he added.

On Wednesday,a combined team of the district police and the district supply officials conducted raids in several areas. The team seized 138.50 quintals of grain — including 115 quintals of wheat and 28.50 quintals of rice — marked to be supplied to PDS shops. The supply was being loaded in a private truck in the Harpur Bazar area.

“All the sacks had the mark saying these grains were to be supplied to PDS shops. But the vehicle was a private one. We caught one person on the spot and he did not have proper documents. On probing,we found that the supply was being taken to some other shops for black-marketing. We immediately got an FIR lodged against him,” said Singh.

On Thursday,a similar case was reported from the Chauri Chaura area,where marked sacks were being unloaded near a private godown. The team seized 220 quintals of grain,including 190 quintals of wheat and also,caught two people against whom FIRs were lodged.

Speaking to The Indian Express,Gorakhpur District Magistrate A K Shukla said: “Since the month’s supply had arrived,we were keeping a watch as to whether it was being sent from the district godown to the PDS shops. We were informed about a few places where grains were being smuggled to black market.” The drive will continue for the next two weeks,he added.