Thiruvananthapuram: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has detected widespread irregularities in the state public distribution system during a statewide surprise inspection conducted under ‘Operation Bhakshya Suraksha’ as part of its ‘Project Zero’ anti-corruption initiative.
Scope of the Inspection
The inspection, carried out on Tuesday on the directions of vigilance director Manoj Abraham, covered 14 National Food Security Act (NFSA) warehouses and 54 ration shops across the state. Vigilance officials reported that irregularities were found in 11 of the 14 warehouses and 25 of the 54 ration shops inspected.
Undercover Operations
As part of the operation, vigilance officers posed as contractors seeking food grains for construction workers and approached selected ration shop licensees. Four ration shop operators were caught allegedly selling food grains illegally. The food grains purchased during the operation and the licensees involved were handed over to the respective taluk supply officials for further action.
Stock Discrepancies
The inspection found significant discrepancies between physical stock and recorded stock in several warehouses and ration shops. Preliminary scrutiny of online financial transactions also revealed suspicious transactions worth Rs 18.22 lakh involving six NFSA warehouse officials and five ration shop licensees. According to vigilance authorities, the individuals concerned could not provide satisfactory explanations for transactions conducted with intermediaries, contractors and others connected to the food grain trade.
GPS and Delivery Issues
They also found that GPS systems installed in vehicles used for doorstep delivery of food grains were either non-functional or that vehicles other than those specified in contracts were being used for distribution.
Beneficiary Verification
Verification with beneficiaries revealed that in several cases, the quantity of food grains billed was higher than what consumers received. The operation uncovered district-specific irregularities, including stock shortages, excess stock, illegal sale of ration commodities, possession of beneficiaries’ ration cards by shop operators and suspicious digital payments between ration shop licensees, warehouse officials, contractors and traders.
Major Findings by District
Among the major findings were a shortage of more than 7,000kg of rice in a warehouse in Thrissur, stock discrepancies exceeding 11,000kg of atta in a Kannur warehouse and alleged financial transactions linked to food grain distribution in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Thrissur, Palakkad and Malappuram.
In Palakkad, vigilance alleged that a senior assistant in charge of an NFSA warehouse had received around Rs 12 lakh through multiple Google Pay accounts over the past one-and-a-half years from persons involved in food grain transactions. The official was also found to have received over Rs 2 lakh from a ration shop operator, according to the preliminary inquiry.
Stay updated with the latest Thiruvananthapuram news.
