Chhattisgarh Cracks Down on Paddy Procurement Fraud
The Chhattisgarh government has launched a major crackdown on corruption in the ongoing Kharif 2025–26 paddy procurement season. Authorities have suspended thirty-one officials and employees. They have also taken punitive action against seven others across twelve districts.
Widespread Complaints Trigger Action
A government statement issued on Thursday detailed the sweeping measures. The action comes in response to large-scale complaints of irregularities from farmers. These complaints include fake procurement and illegal deductions.
The violations identified during inspections are serious and varied. Officials found evidence of fake or fraudulent paddy procurement. Physical verification revealed shortages of stock in many centers. Some officials purchased substandard paddy. Others bought paddy without proper arrival slips.
Token irregularities were another common problem. Unauthorized procurement occurred on holidays in some places. Fraud in gunny bag distribution, known locally as baradana, was also uncovered. Most distressingly, there were multiple reports of illegal extortion from farmers.
District-Wide Suspensions and FIRs
The disciplinary actions span multiple districts. Affected areas include Durg, Bemetara, Kabirdham, Bilaspur, Janjgir-Champa, and Raigarh. The list also covers Sakti, Jagdalpur, Raipur, Gariaband, Mahasamund, and Balodabazar-Bhatapara.
One employee has faced dismissal from service. Authorities removed two others from their positions. One official was relieved of duty entirely. Police have registered FIRs against three officials for fraud, shortages, and policy violations.
Specific Cases Highlight Corruption
In Durg district, officials suspended multiple committee managers and procurement officials. The action followed the detection of stock discrepancies. Suspended individuals include Saurabh Yadav from the Jeet centre and Shekhar Singh Kashyap from Godhi. Devdatta Patel of Khilorakala and Sewaram Patel of Kanharpur also faced suspension.
Bemetara district saw four officials suspended for procuring poor-quality paddy. Assistant Manager Umesh Kumar Sahu was suspended and booked for fake procurement.
In Kabirdham, manager Anil Bajpai of the Kukdur centre was suspended. An FIR was lodged against him after physical verification revealed stock shortages.
Chapora witnessed the suspension of procurement in-charge Naresh Yadav. Irregularities in gunny-bag distribution led to his removal.
Further Disciplinary Measures
Bilaspur district authorities filed an FIR against procurement centre in-charge Kamiram Khunte. The action came after investigators found 920 bags of paddy missing.
Janjgir-Champa suspended three staffers for accepting paddy arrivals on a holiday. A computer operator was booked for manipulating tokens.
Raipur district dismissed clerk-operator Rakesh Jangde from the Nardahra centre. He allegedly extorted money from farmers.
In Mahasamund, police registered FIRs against centre in-charges in Pirdha and Singhbahal.
Additional suspensions occurred in Jagdalpur, Gariaband, and Balodabazar. These actions addressed disorderly procurement, policy breaches, and stock discrepancies.
Parallel Crackdown on Rice Mills
In a related development, Mungeli district authorities sealed fourteen rice mills. They seized over twelve thousand quintals of paddy. This massive action followed the uncovering of huge irregularities in custom milling operations.
A special joint team conducted the raids. The team included members from the revenue, police, and food departments. They acted on alerts generated by the State Integrated Command and Control Centre. This centre tracks paddy-movement vehicles using GPS technology.
The coordinated efforts demonstrate the government's commitment to cleaning up the procurement system. They aim to protect farmers from exploitation and ensure fair practices.
