PANAJI
The State will soon have clarity about the role of suspended officer Siddhivinayak Naik and his former subordinates of the Department of Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs in the tur dal wastage scam. The much-awaited preliminary inquiry is almost complete and according to sources, the preparation of a conclusive report is in its final stage.
“The preliminary inquiry is in the process of completion. Its report will establish the role of each of the eight officials identified in the scam,” said a senior bureaucrat on condition of anonymity.
The report, he explained, will be submitted to Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel, also the Chief Vigilance Officer, for further action. This will pave the way to frame charges against the defaulting officials. “Major or minor penalty will be decided depending on the gravity of charges against each. Disciplinary proceedings or any other appropriate action will proceed thereafter,” sources said.
The matter pertains to over 200 tons of tur dal, which were lying in government godowns as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, getting wasted.
The government had directed a Vigilance inquiry after the Office of Secretary (Health) in June observed that due to lack of timely action on the part of the Department to dispose of the stock, 241,207 kgs of tur dal, worth Rs 1.90 crore approx had been spoilt and rendered unsafe.
“Had the department conducted a proper study/survey of the requirement of tur dal and prepared an action plan for its distribution, this loss would have been avoided. Considering the facts and circumstances, responsibility needs to be fixed and the loss resulted be recovered from concerned defaulting officials,” the report Secretary (Health) Y V V J Rajasekhar (IAS) stated.
While Naik, who then held the charge as Director of Civil Supplies was suspended; Franklin Ferrao (ADCS), Celia Crasto (OS), Rajiv Sawant (Inspector of Civil Supplies), Veera Nayak (ADCS), Sneha Gaonkar (HC), Dilip Gaude (ICS) and Wilson Furtado (AAO) faced inquiry.
The Department has come under serious scrutiny with not only wastage of tur dal coming to the fore; the infamous sugar meltdown, and pilferage of over Rs 12 lakh worth of rice and wheat exposed the manner in which the department is sincere about distributing the commodities to ration card holders.
The government inquiry also speaks about confusion over the quantum of tur dal to-be procured and nil rational criteria applied. It noticed that from time to time different orders were issued at different point of time, and that it was not clear whether these were in addition or revised, or otherwise.
