A significant financial fraud has been uncovered in Haryana's paddy procurement system for the marketing year 2022-23, involving the fabrication of transport records. The state's Vigilance Bureau has exposed a scam where light vehicles like motorcycles and cars were improbably shown as transporting thousands of quintals of paddy from procurement centers to rice mills.
The Core of the Fraudulent Scheme
Investigations by the Haryana State Vigilance Bureau have revealed a brazen manipulation of the logistics chain. According to the findings, tens of thousands of quintals of paddy were officially recorded as being transported from various mandis to designated rice mills using vehicles wholly unsuitable for the task. The records audaciously listed motorcycles, cars, and other light passenger vehicles as the carriers for massive loads of food grain.
This glaring discrepancy was identified during a thorough probe into the procurement process. The scam essentially involved creating fake transportation records, or 'thekas', to claim payments for the movement of paddy that likely never occurred in the manner documented. The fraudulent activity siphoned off public funds meant for legitimate transport contractors.
Scale, Locations, and Key Figures
The financial scale of this scam is estimated to be a staggering Rs 25 crore. The fraud was not isolated to a single location but was detected across several procurement centers and rice mills. A key figure named in the investigation is Sanjay, the proprietor of Shree Shyam Rice Mill located in Siwan, Uttar Pradesh. His mill is implicated as one of the destinations for these fictitiously transported paddy consignments.
The investigation points to collusion between certain rice mill owners, transporters, and possibly officials involved in the procurement and logistics verification process. By showing transport via impossible means, the perpetrators bypassed standard checks and collected substantial payments.
Ongoing Investigation and Wider Implications
The Haryana Vigilance Bureau is actively pursuing this case. The probe aims to uncover the entire network responsible for orchestrating the fraud, identify all beneficiaries, and recover the misappropriated government money. This scandal raises serious questions about the oversight mechanisms in the state's agricultural procurement system, a critical component of India's food security and farmer support policy.
This paddy scam of 2022-23 follows a pattern of similar frauds in the region, indicating systemic vulnerabilities. It undermines the integrity of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime and diverts crucial resources. The outcome of this investigation is being closely watched, as it could lead to major procedural overhauls in how transport logistics are verified and paid for in Haryana's mandis.
