ACB submits chargesheet in 2011 ration fraud case in Jammu

The case was registered on August 10, 2011, following a verification which revealed that in 2004, officials allegedly processed and recommended the appointment of a ration dealer on the basis of a list containing non-existent BPL and AAY families without proper verification, they said.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) submitted a chargesheet on Saturday in a corruption case against officials and other persons for the alleged misappropriation of ration in a village of Jammu district, officials said. The chargesheet was produced before the court of the Special Judge, Anti-Corruption, Jammu, against nine officials and other persons of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department for alleged misappropriation of ration, corruption, misuse of official position and causing loss to the state exchequer, officials said. According to the ACB, the case pertains to the fraudulent issuance and misappropriation of ration meant for Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Antodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) beneficiaries, by allegedly granting ration to 188 non-existent families in Khandwal village of Jammu district. Four of those against whom the chargesheet was filed in the corruption case registered in 2011 have died. The chargesheet names -- then Tehsil Supply Officer Jammu Bhajan Singh, then Assistant Director Miraj-U-Din, then Patwari Halqa Khandwal Mohd Rashid, then Sarpanch Panchayat Khandwal Paramdeep Singh, then Panch Dhrub Singh, then ration dealer Harbans Lal (now deceased), then Panch Balbir Singh (now deceased), then Nambardar Romesh Singh (now deceased), and then Chowkidar Ami Chand (now deceased). The case was registered on August 10, 2011, following a verification which revealed that in 2004, officials allegedly processed and recommended the appointment of a ration dealer on the basis of a list containing non-existent BPL and AAY families without proper verification, they said. Between 2004 and 2010, subsidised rations continued to be issued based on the inflated list, ACB officials said. During verification, only 26 BPL and 17 AAY families were found genuine, while 188 families were found non-existent. The investigation found that large quantities of wheat, atta, rice and excess sugar were issued against these fake beneficiaries, leading to an estimated loss of Rs 30.33 lakh to the state exchequer, they said. After completion of the investigation, the case was established, and the chargesheet was filed before the Special Judge, Anti-Corruption, Jammu, for judicial determination, the officials added.

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