TRACKING THE TUR DAL WASTAGE
– Transporter M/s Yatin Construction recorded that the Tur Dal was transported to godown before April 2020 for supply for April and May months
– May 21, 2020: It was recorded that the distribution of Tur Dal will be extended from June 1, 2020, to June 21, 2020, without further extensions
– July 23, 2020: Contrary note was recorded by the Civil Supplies Department that the item is non-perishable and can be used till December
– July 29, 2020: Civil Supplies Director recorded that the Tur Dal is for APL distribution
– November 11, 2020: FDA’s Quality check ascertained the leftover stock is “unsafe food” as per section 3(i) of Food Safety and Standard Regulations 2007
– January 7, 2021: Department’s detailed note that 241.207 MTs of Tur Dal is left undistributed at Taluka Civil Supplies Godown
– April 9, 2021: ICAR’s report observed “The sample of Tur Dal is therefore not suitable as a feed ingredient for cattle or poultry feed.”
– May 26, 2021: Finance Department noted that had the department conducted a proper study/survey of the requirement of Tur Dal and prepared an action plan for its distribution, this loss would have been avoided. The Tur Dal was to be distributed and money recovered within two months, but the department failed to dispose of/distribute it within the period
SUSPENSE ACCOUNT
– None have given any justification for the procurement of 800 MTs of Tur Dal
– None explained anything about the initial letter of March 27, 2020, wherein 1,200 MTs were ordered without the approval of the Secretary or Minister in-charge
– Explanations have not dealt as to why it was recorded as non-perishable items and justified the storage though it is not lifted by the FPS
– No explanation on why the department kept insisting on distributions of Tur Dal though it is failing in every effort to get the stock lifted by the FPS
PANAJI
The Goa government got rid of discarded Tur Dal and sugar last month, but the issue isn’t over yet. A confidential inquiry, a copy of which is in exclusive possession of The Goan, points out procedural irregularity by the officers and the staff of the Department of Civil Supplies.
It was believed that sugar was not that bad to be sent to the distillery but the matter regarding Tur Dal seems serious. Bypassing the Finance Department to place an order for 1,200 metric tonnes of Tur Dal, misguiding Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and the Minister that it is a ‘Non-Perishable Item’ and lack of timely action to dispose of the stock of 2,41,207 kg of dal exposed the fraud worth Rs 1.9 crore.
In another shocking revelation, the findings rubbished submissions by the department officials that the orders were issued as a part of COVID-19 disaster management.
“There is a procedural irregularity on the part of the officers/staff of the Department (,) and Director (Civil Supplies) is liable for the supervisory lapse and also responsible for issuing a letter dated March 27, 2020, for ordering 1,200 MTs of Tur Dal to NAFED without taking any approval from the competent authority and without any rational criteria,” the voluminous report by Secretary (Health) Y V V J Rajasekhar states, copy of which has also been sent to Chief Secretary for necessary action.
The report also indicts staff for wrongly justifying keeping the stock till December 2020 by wrongly recording that it is a Non-Perishable Item. “This amounts to misguiding the Competent Authority including the Minister,” it said.
Similarly, justification for placing ‘this kind of order; as a part of the Covid-19 pandemic disaster management has been flatly rejected as the Secretary observed it had nothing to do with the crisis. “There is a lapse and negligence on the part of officers for not timely mitigating the loss even though Fair Price Shops have refused to lift right from the initial stage thereby resulting in a loss of Rs 1.9 crore (approx) to the State exchequer. On the contrary, officers have wrongly misguided that it can be kept till December by wrongly stating that it is a Non-Perishable Item,” it said.
Sources further told The Goan that the Department, in 2020, purposely delayed by around a year allowing a particular firm to lift the Tur Dal despite a work order being issued. As a result, the dal’s quality further spoilt and was rendered unsafe even for cattle and poultry consumption. “The department took for granted that dal has a longer shelf life, and in this process, overlooked the quality which eventually turned unsafe,” it said.
