Over 550 Metric Tons of Paddy and Rice Missing from Government Food Warehouse
Nearly 550 metric tons of paddy and rice are missing from the Kurigram district food warehouse. After conducting a drive, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) found evidence of major irregularities in the stock of paddy and rice at the warehouse. According to the ACC, no records were found for 521 metric tons of paddy and 35 metric tons of rice during the operation.
On Sunday (January 11) at noon, a team of the ACC inspected eight godowns of the district food warehouse located in the New Railway Station area of Kurigram town. During the inspection, a huge shortage of paddy and rice was detected.
Later, at around 6:30 pm, the ACC team began another operation at the Kurigram Sadar food warehouse. Six separate godowns were searched there. The ACC suspects that there may also be shortages in the food grain accounts in those godowns.
According to ACC sources, the drive was conducted on the instructions of the Commission’s head office following allegations of collecting low-quality rice from traders instead of procuring from farmers, using old sacks instead of new ones, and embezzling money by selling paddy and rice elsewhere.
Kurigram District ACC Assistant Director Md. Sabdarur Islam said that the godowns where shortages of paddy and rice were found have been sealed. When asked about the shortages, the concerned officials of the food warehouse failed to provide any satisfactory answers. He said the matter would be investigated and legal action would be taken accordingly. He also mentioned that rice unfit for consumption was found during the operation.
However, despite repeated attempts, Kurigram District Food Controller Mohammad Kazi Hamidul Haque could not be reached for comment on the matter.
