A CORRESPONDENT
BOKO: Irregularities in Food Corporation of India's (FCI) supply rice came to light in Chaygaon Industrial Growth Centre on Thursday. The irregularities were exposed after villagers of Nadaipara village became suspicious about a rice bag-laden truck and stopped it in their village on Tuesday. Villagers informed Boko Police Station and due to the suspicious documents of the rice bags, police seized the truck.
Later, Boko Police took the statements of the truck driver and co-driver and investigated the matter. After that, the Boko Police team, led by OC Sanjit Kumar Ray and Chaygaon revenue Circle Officer, conducted a raid on 'Maruti Quality Products Pvt Ltd', which is a company tied up with Nestle multinational food company.
During the raid, police and administrative officials found that FCI supply rice were packed into East Sunrise Brand bags. Maruti Quality Products Pvt Ltd packed the FCI supply rice into East Sunrise Brand bags and supplied the rice bags to the Assam Rifles.
East Sunrise Brand rice is actually part of Continental Milkose India Ltd. After investigating the matter, FCI Meghalaya, Shillong division sent the rice under the Wheat Based Nutrition Programme and National Food Security Act, 2013 through the Directorate of Social Welfare Meghalaya, Shillong. Regarding the matter, police arrested seven persons of the company for investigation and seized 13 trucks. Police have seized more than 1 lakh bags of FCI rice from Continental Milkose India Ltd.
Now, various local organizations like All Assam Students' Union (AASU), ARSU and local people have slammed the company for the irregularities. All Rabha Students' Union (ARSU) Kamrup district president Ajit Rabha said that this was a scam by the company. The company snatched food from poor people which the government distributed under the National Food Security Act. He also added that this scam should be investigated at a high-level. Boko Police are investigating this matter.