Maize Procurement Scam Uncovered

ORISSA, INDIA - Investigators have uncovered a fraud that has affected poultry farmers in the state since 2006.
calendar icon 23 December 2009
clock icon 3 minute read

The Vigilance sleuths have raided veterinary offices in four districts of Orissa and seized several documents in connection with a multi-million-rupee scam relating to the supply of maize feed to various poultry farms in the state during the bird flu in 2006 and 2007.

Vigilance sources told New Kerala that the raid was conducted on the basis of allegation that maize feed worth tens of millions of rupees were procured at a subsidised rate according to Central government instructions but were not distributed to the poultry farms in the state during the bird flu outbreak.

The Directorate of Animal and Husbandry Department as per the instruction of the Centre had ordered about 20,000 tonnes of maize feed from Andhra Pradesh Supply Corporation, the nodal agency entrusted by the Centre to supply at a subsidised rate of 4,500 rupees (INR) per tonne against the market rate of INR7,500.

Although the Directorate had procured maize feed for several poultry farms in Cuttack, Berhampur, Khurda and Dhenkanal from the Andhra Pradesh Supply Corporation, on verification, it was noticed that several poultry farms figured in the distribution list of the maize feed did not exist.

Vigilance Superintendent of Police, Debudutta Pattanik, said prima facie evidence had been found in the allegation but a detailed investigation was going on to ascertain as to whether the maize procured by the Animal Husbandry Directorate was distributed or not to the poultry farms.

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