Morung Express News
Dimapur | December 18
The ACAUT Nagaland submitted a memorandum on December 18 to the Governor of Nagaland calling for the Prime Minister’s intervention to curb corruption in the state. The memorandum to be forwarded to the Prime Minister demanded CBI inquiry into the “whole PDS (Public Distribution System) scam in Nagaland” spanning decades.
The memo while highlighting the circumstances surrounding the ACAUT’s stand on the PDS in Nagaland held that the “scam” could be the largest in the country even surpassing the scam in Arunachal Pradesh that cost Gegong Apang dearly.
Justifying the December 9 exposé and the subsequent action of the ACAUT, the memo stated that the ACAUT Nagaland visited M/S Lotha Trading Ageny and RZ Lotha Agency (godowns) based on a tipoff. As per the memo, the two godowns belonged to Tinku Sethi and Nirmal Jain and were running contrary to PDS guidelines. FIRs were lodged against the two firms based on the caretakers’ statements and against the Food & Civil Supplies (F&CS), Nagaland as well, it added. “Later revelation has shown that RZ Lotha the state stockiest has executed power of attorney in favour of G. Sarkar and A. Jain.”
The memo citing RTI replies tipped the “PDS scams” at “multiple thousand crores.” Pointing out alleged anomalies in the wheat distribution segment as per records supplied through RTI, the memo stated that the Nagaland F&CS distributed more wheat than the quantity reportedly supplied by the Central government during 2003-07. As per the records, 72.8 crore kg of wheat was distributed in Nagaland as against a total supply allocation of 51 crore kg between 2003-04 and 2014-15. This, it added, is inspite of the fact that wheat is not a stable of the Naga diet.
Out of a total of 20.19 crore litre of SK oil allocated to the state during 2003-04 and 2014-15, the memo alleged that only 8.28 crore litres were distributed. Stating some 11.9 crore litre was diverted during the period; it estimated that in monetary terms the diversion would amount to around Rs. 500 crore.
Stating that wrong-doers are being let scot-free while “whistle blowers and anti corruption activists are harassed and jailed,” the ACAUT Nagaland called upon the PM to initiate a “full and impartial” CBI inquiry in to the PDS in Nagaland. It further alleged that the people named in the PDS scam as carrying out “Benami transactions” by fronting business in Naga names to escape IT returns.
The ACAUT has meanwhile, in a press note, thanked those who showed their support during the signature campaign and the public rally.
