Irregularities found in paddy procurement by LAMPS

Alleged irregularities have been detected in procurement of paddy by large area multi-purpose cooperative societies (LAMPS) for the rabi marketing season (RMS) in Koraput district of Odisha.
Smelling foul play, the administration ordered a probe and found that 62,000 quintal and 10,000 quintal paddy were procurred by the LAMPS situated at Umuri and Kundura respectively on June 30, the last day of procuring paddy at mandis.
Paddy procurement from a single mandi a day had been capped at 4,000 quintal, officials said.
Moreover, to transport 72,000 quintal of paddy, around 960 trucks are required and if it took five minutes for each vehicle in preparing transit pass then it came to around 80 hours, they said.

"It raised eyebrows as how on a single day it was possible," said an official of the civil supplies department.
The administration's suspicion grew as no vendor receipt was maintained by the procuring agencies (LAMPS) at the time of collecting paddy from the farmers.
"Through vendor receipts we could have cross-checked with the farmers whether they had sold paddy at the mandi or not," Koraput district Collector Jaya Kumar V said.
"June 30 was Tuesday and on this day mandi doesn't operate. Mandis are open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. So, who ordered them to open mandis on Tuesday is under investigation. Once our inquiry is complete, we will recommend to the government for action against the offenders," the collector said.