The Hindu: Karnataka: Monday,
April 03, 2017.
RTI
activist Bhimappa Gadad says irregularities amount to Rs.23 crore.
Questions
have been raised on the prices at which certain commodities have been procured
by the State’s Department of Food and Civil Supplies for distribution to
beneficiaries under the Anna Bhagya scheme, with an RTI activist alleging
irregularities in the same.
Bhimappa
Gadad, of Gokak, has claimed that there were irregularities to the tune of Rs.23
crore. However, department officials argue that procurement had been done in a
completely transparent manner.
Quoting information
obtained under the RTI Act, 2005, from the department and public documents and
agriculture-based websites quoting prices for various commodities in open
markets and Agriculture Market Produce Committees, Mr. Gadad said at a press
conference here recently that a total 2,10,468 quintals of “highly substandard”
green gram was purchased from National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange
Limited (NCDEX) for a sum of about Rs.12.653 crore in February and March this
year. He alleged the department paid an average price of Rs.6,012 per quintal,
which was much higher than the average prices that range from Rs.3,800 to Rs.4,500
per quintal in open markets.
Considering a
minimum difference of Rs.1,000 per quintal between vis-à-vis average
procurement and market prices, the department has paid Rs.21.04 crore over and
above the market prices for green gram, Mr. Gadad alleged.
Price of
sugar
Similarly, it
purchased 88,320 quintals of S-30 grade sugar at Rs.400 per quintal kg and
another stock of 16,900 quintals at Rs.4,300 per quintal, even though the price
of better quality of sugar was only Rs.38 in markets. The price difference of Rs.500
per quintal indicates that about Rs.2.37 crore more was paid for the
procurement of sugar.
NCDEX
e-tenders
However, N.C.
Gangadhar, Senior Deputy Director in the department at Bengaluru, categorically
rejected the allegation stating that all procurements were made in a
transparent manner through e-tenders from NCDEX, a professionally managed
online multi-commodity exchange in Mumbai.
Mr. Gangadhar
told The Hindu that tenders for green gram and sugar were issued during
November-December 2016 and commodities were purchased through e-tenders at
e-prices from NCDEX as per the prices that prevailed on the day of purchase on
condition of door-delivery. The procurement prices included the cost of
door-delivery where sugar was supplied in a 50 kg bag and green gram in 1 kg
plastic bags.
He said the
department was procuring commodities for PDS through the central e-marketing
forum NCDEX with due permission from the government.
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