Vigilance officials inspect rice mills in Mancherial

Vigilance officials of the Civil Supplies department inspected rice mills in Jaipur and Chennur mandals after a Rs 1.39-crore paddy procurement scam surfaced in Jaipur. Records of paddy purchases and milling were verified, and one rice miller has already been arrested.

Adilabad: Officials from the Vigilance wing of the Civil Supplies department inspected records at several rice mills in Jaipur and Chennur mandals on Friday and Saturday.

A team led by a DSP-rank officer inspected mills permitted to take up custom rice milling and procure paddy from farmers at Tekumatla, Indaram, Kundaram and Maddulapalli in Jaipur mandal, and at various locations in Chennur mandal. They examined records of paddy procured and rice milled, while also checking stocks of fine and coarse varieties.

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The inspections gained significance after irregularities surfaced at a procurement centre in Jaipur mandal recently. An amount of Rs. 1.39 crore from the Civil Supplies department was allegedly swindled by fabricating records of a paddy procurement centre catering to Narsingapur and Maddulapalli villages in November.

A case was registered against 13 persons based on a complaint by officials. One of the accused, Thatipalli Saikumar, a rice mill owner, has already been arrested for his role in the scam, while Srirampur Inspector G Venuchandar was suspended for allegedly diluting the case.