Balrampur , Government wheat stocks totalling 228.764 metric tonnes and valued at nearly ₹ 60 lakh were found missing from two procurement centres of the Provincial Cooperative Federation here, police said on Sunday.
A joint team comprising District Food and Marketing Officer Govind Kumar Upadhyay, Assistant Commissioner Ajay Kumar Maurya and Additional District Cooperative Officer Devendra Pratap Agrahari conducted surprise inspections at two procurement centres of B-PACS Tulsipur on September 11, according to police. The remaining 67.111 metric tonnes was supposed to be stored in the godown, but the inspection team was not provided its keys. Based on the minimum support price of ₹ 2,605 per quintal, the total value of the missing wheat was assessed at around ₹ 60 lakh, police said.
A case has been registered against two officials, including a procurement centre in-charge, while the in-charge secretary has been arrested, police said. The godown appeared empty when viewed through its windows, police said. Superintendent of Police Martand Prakash Singh said an FIR was registered at Tulsipur police station on a complaint by PCF district manager Ashwani Shukla against in-charge secretary Prakash Singh and centre in-charge Mahendra Mani Tiwari under relevant sections. Prakash Singh has been arrested, the SP said.
