7 months ago
Paddy Heist in Chhattisgarh: Missing Grain or Scam?
Chhattisgarh, known as the 'rice bowl of India,' is facing a problem where a lot of paddy (rice) is disappearing.
Officials say it's because of rats, birds, drying, or pests.
But in some places, like Mahasamund, over 81,000 quintals of paddy have gone missing in just ten months.
That's like a truck full of paddy disappearing every hour!
In another place, Jashpur, almost 21,000 quintals are missing, worth about Rs 6.55 crore.
The government says this is normal, but some people think it might be a scam.
Earlier, in Kawardha, a similar problem was found to be because of fake records and tampered cameras.
The state has been buying a lot of paddy from farmers, but not all of it seems to be reaching the right places.
People are worried and want to know where all the paddy is going.
Over 81,620 quintals of paddy went missing in Mahasamund district in ten months, attributed to drying and damage.
In Jashpur district, a shortfall of 20,586.88 quintals of paddy was discovered, worth approximately Rs 6.55 crore.
Officials blame the losses on drying, pests, and natural spoilage, but investigations suggest possible scams.
A previous case in Kawardha revealed fake entries, fake bills, and tampered CCTV cameras, leading to the removal of the centre in-charge.
Chhattisgarh has procured 93.12 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from farmers, but accountability for the missing grain is lacking.
- Who
- Government officials and farmers in Chhattisgarh
- What
- Large quantities of paddy are going missing, with officials attributing it to natural causes
- Where
- Various districts in Chhattisgarh, including Mahasamund, Jashpur, and Kawardha
- When
- During the 2024-25 Kharif marketing season and previous years
- Why
- Officials cite drying loss, pests, and natural spoilage, but investigations suggest possible scams
Key facts
- State
- Chhattisgarh
- Missing Paddy (Mahasamund)
- 81,620 quintals
- Missing Paddy (Jashpur)
- 20,586.88 quintals
- Estimated Loss (Jashpur)
- Rs 6.55 crore
- Procurement Season
- 2024-25 Kharif
- Total Procurement
- 93.12 lakh metric tonnes
- Total Payment to Farmers
- Rs 20,753 crore
- Procurement Centres
- 2,740
Quotes
Deepesh Pandey
Procurement in-charge of Bagbahara
“The paddy was stored for a long duration, so the moisture in it naturally dried out. After five months, a government team conducted a test. At that time, the coarse paddy, where the standard weight of one sack is 40 kg, was found to weigh 37.48 kg, and the Sarna variety weighed 37.45 kg. During random checking, they themselves acknowledged that about 2.5 kg of weight had been lost due to drying over five months.”
NDTV
“The district-level committee itself is determining the matter. The paddy arrives during the rainy season, and the tarpaulin covers the black and blue sheets, which absorb heat and moisture. This leads to natural drying. The paddy is being stored in the open. It remained stored for 11 months.”
NDTV
Ashutosh Kosaria
District Marketing Officer of Mahasamund
“We stored the 2024-25 paddy for almost 11 months instead of the usual five. On average, about 3.5 per cent of paddy gets spoilt due to drying across Chhattisgarh, and Mahasamund's figure is 3.57 per percent.”
NDTV
Sources
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