Trade licences of 3 Fair Price shops cancelled; police seize another lot of embezzled rice

April 20: The retail trade licences of three fair price shops under Mohonpur GPSS Limited in Hailakandi have been cancelled following detection of anomalies. In an order issued to this effect on Saturday, Assistant Director of Food, Civil Supplies and Corporate Affairs, Ganesh Choudhury said the order cancelling the licences of the three fair price shops was taken following a report by Sub Inspector of the department, Dibyajit Pathak.

During inspection in the presence of Circle Officer, Algapur, Sub Inspector Pathak found that fair price shop agent under Mohonpur GPSS Ltd, Aynul Haque had been unauthorisedly running two fair price shops of Anowara Begum, Secretary West Mohonpur GP Women Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd and Tasarun Nessa. The fair price shops failed to produce the account books relating to lifting and distribution of essential commodities.

Following violation different provisions as well as terms and condition of the licence under APDA Order, 1982, the trade licences of the aforesaid fair price shops have been cancelled, the order stated. The Secretary, Algapur GPSS Ltd with whom the Mohonpur GPSS Ltd has been tagged has been instructed to issue commodities to the tagged fair price shops in the presence of Area Officer, Food, Civil Supplies and Corporate Affairs.

Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police, Pabindra Kumar Nath informed that another quantity of around five quintals of embezzled rice was recovered by the IC, Mohanpur outpost from Khasiapunji, Mohanpur in abandoned state on Saturday.

On the Mohonpur GPSS Ltd scam, the police has registered two cases at Algapur Police Station against the persons involved and conducting raids one after the other leading to seizure of embezzled rice worth 2250 kg and 250 kg flour wheat. Three persons have been arrested so far. The police is on the look out for the kingpin of the scam Aftabuddin Laskar and Aynul Haque, both of whom are absconding. 1858.20 quintals of NFSA rice allotted for March were siphoned off by Aftabuddin Laskar in cahoots with some dealers worth Rs.40 lakh thus depriving 33,315 beneficiaries.