Markfed BO surrenders to police, sent to judicial custody

Ferozepur, September 11, 2012:  The district court has sent Markfed Branch Officer, Balbir Singh in judicial custody upto September 21 after three days police remand. 

 

During May, 2012, on the complaint of District Manager, Markfed, Ferozepur, the Ferozepur police had registered a case against Branch Officer and Salesman, the joint custodian of wheat stocks at Markfed Branch Office, Ferozepur regarding the alleged shortage of 4,765 bags worth Rs.38 lakh.

 

As per the sources, the shortage was detected during the different two physical verifications (PV) conducted by the team of officials of head office, Chandigarh and district office and 4,765 bags of wheat containing 2,382.50 quintals of wheat valued at Rs.37,91,899 was found short, in the custody of officials in the two godowns taken on rent by the Markfed, for the storage of foodgrains on Ansal Road in the city where large quantity of stocks have been stored of the crop years 2010-11 and 2011-12. 

 

The PV of wheat stocks was first conducted on August 19, 2011 and re-conducted on August 30, 2011 and again on December 26, 2011 and December 29, 2011 of both the crop years.

 

In this case, Gurdip Singh the second custodian with Balbir Singh has already been granted bail after arrest and remained in custody for more than three months. Whereas,  Balbir Singh was absconding and surrendered before the police on getting rejections for bail from Sessions and High Courts. 

 

These officials were given sufficient time to make good the loss and when they failed to do so, the case was registered with the police, said District Manager,  Markfed.

 

On contacting Balbir Singh and Gurdip Singh, it was revealed that actually there is no moisture gained excess in foodgrains stocks as per the norms fixed by the department, 700 grams per qtl for the stocks stored in open and 1000 gram per qtl for the covered stocks

but the custodians are compelled to book the same in the Management Information System Wheat-1 document (MIS) in papers while there are no physically excess stocks are available at the storage point with the result the stocks become short physically, on account of booking of excess in the MIS(W-1) document.

 

In the instant case, the same thing has happened as there was no moisture gained excess in the stocks in crop year 2009-10 but they had been booking in the official documents making short of equivalent quantity at the storage point