Embezzlement of rice in Gournadi food godown

Several sacks, which were supposed to contain 30 kilogramme of rice each, had been found weighing two to three kilogramme less rice, revealed Md Anisur Rahman, acting upazila executive officer and also assistant commissioner of land, on Tuesday. The higher authorities concerned were informed of the matter, said Anisur. The UNO visited the food storehouse upon the allegation of irregularities against Minar Kanti Baiddya, office-in-charge of the food storehouse, brought by rice dealers and union parishad chairmen of the upazila on Monday. The official said he gave the instruction of distributing the rice after putting the right amount of rice in each sack. Shaikat Guho Piklu, chairman of Mahilara union, said he went to the storehouse on Monday for collecting the rice allocated for his union against vulnerable group development (VGD) cards and saw that the rice had already been sacked. He then suspected the misappropriation of rice and found two to three kilogramme less rice in each of around 25 to 30 sacks after weighing those sacks again. Piklu complained to the UNO about it on the day. “Minar with the help of the workers of the storehouse put 27 to 28 kg rice instead of 30 kg in each sack and sell the rice that he collected in this way in black market,” alleged Piklu. There are 2,111 beneficiaries of the vulnerable group development programme under the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs in seven unions of the upazila for two years, according to the office of UNO. Every month, 30kg rice is allocated against each of the VGD cards. The chairmen of Sarikal and Barthi unions in the upazila were bound to purchase the rice from market to fulfill the weight of the rice sacks, which lacked two to three kg rice, alleged Piklu. Meanwhile, dealerships of two rice dealers of Nalchira and Brarthi unions had been cancelled upon the allegation of giving less rice to Tk10 fair price card holders. However, Minar refuted the allegations and said he came to Barisal to attend a meeting there after giving instructions to the leader of the workers at the food storehouse to put the right amount of rice in each sack. If less rice was found in sacks, measures would be taken against the labour leader, added Minar.