Our BureauGUWAHATI/SILCHAR, July 6: The Silchar Food Grains Merchants’ Association (SFGMA) today expressed its displeasure over the arrest of Dipankar Roy, owner of the SS Rice Mill that was raided by the police on July 3. The SFGMA also pointed its finger of allegation against Silchar Wholesale Cooperative Society (SWCS) chairman Shibu Kanungo, who is known to be a close aid of Asom Urban Area Development Minister Dinesh Prasad Goala. In fact, Food Corporation of India (FCI) rice meant for weaker sections of society has again caught newspaper headlines. This time on account of being over-lifted from FCI godowns and stocked in a warehouse owned by wholesaler Dipankar Roy. On the basis of public complaints that 170 bags (847 quintal) of FCI rice were illegally stocked in SS Rice Mill at Tarapur, the police raided the premises and seized the stock. DSP NC Gogoi, who is investigating the matter, said, “It is too early to pinpoint the guilty or racketeers involved in the murky business”. Dipankar Roy, however, was arrested by the police. Police investigation has revealed that the Wholesale Cooperative Society of Silchar had stocked rice in Roy’s warehouse. The arrest of Dipankar Roy prompted the SFGMA to call a press-meet today to clarify that Roy was not guilty. The rice was stocked in his godown by the cooperative society. SFGMA general secretary Pranab Paul Choudhury alleged that Dipankar Roy was made a scapegoat. On the other hand, the Wholesale Cooperative Society also convened a press-meet and refuted allegations of having any links in the racket. Wholesale Cooperative Society Chairman Shibu Kanungo said it was a conspiracy to defame them. Police is now trying to reach the bottom of the whole shady business in order to unearth the reality. Cachar Additional SP PR Kar said, “This kind of raid will continue whenever police gets any information from the public”. The police, in fact, has smelt a bigger conspiracy in Government subsidised rice. A highly placed police source hinted that there may be some big names involved behind the large scale corruption of FCI rice. Altogether three raids have been conducted by the police since June 26 and 15 people including FCI shed in-charge Pradumnya Kumar Das were arrested after the police raided the FCI Silchar depot. One Nandababu Singh, the owner of the adjoining house and 10 home guard personnel were also arrested in this connection.On June 27, the truck driver Zamaluddin and his assistant Shahbuddin were arrested by the police at Sayeedpur-II when they tried to cross the Mizoram border with 89 bags of FCI rice. According to the sources, Zamaluddin has revealed during interrogation that they had illegally brought around eight bags out of the 89 bags. FCI area manager T Deshmukhya said a departmental inquiry has already been initiated to unearth the alleged anomalies. A team of FCI officials led by SC Moran is in Cachar district for carrying an on-the-spot study. source: sentinel assam
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