PDS grains seized from godown,case against owners

“The drive was initiated on with the help of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena to crack down on suspicious activity at the Gultekdi market. The trucks ferrying grains from the Food Corporation of India which has to be supplied to the fair price shops were being sold in the open market. We have also seized the gunny bags with the government stamp,” said Pune food supplies department head Pradeep Patil.

Patil said the team from the department and MNS activists carried out the operation on Wednesday night between 10 pm and 2 am.

MNS activist Ram Borkar who was part of the operations said they had suspected malpractice and had alerted the department. “We had got information that government foodgrains were being sold in the open market. According to our information this has been an ongoing activity for the last six to seven years. We have been able to track one team and there are many such teams which are operational in the city,” said Borkar.

With the city needing around 3,000 metric tonnes of wheat and 1,000 metric tonnes of rice which are supplied to 1,250 shops,the department is trying to ensure that a proper system is maintained to monitor the trucks ferrying the material from FCI. “We will be carrying out proper checks and if there is anything which is noticed we would urge people to get in touch with us and appropriate action will be taken,” assured Patil.