Bhubaneswar: The Odisha food supply and consumer welfare minister, Surya Narayan Patro, Friday ordered for disciplinary action against five supply department officials for showing undue favour to one Kalinga Agriculture Pvt.Ltd. which caused financial loss to the tune of Rs 3.50 crore to the state exchequer.
The Kalinga Agriculture of Sarua village in Khorda district was given 23,214 quintal of paddy to covert to rice and return to the state 15,785 quintal of rice in the khariff marketing season of 2012-13. The firm failed to return the rice.
The five supply department officials had allowed the mill to lift paddy in excess of its capacity. Not only that these officials did not prosecute the mill owner for the failure in returning the rice.
Setting an example, the minister has ordered to recover the amount from the five officials. The former district civil supply officer of Khorda Amar Mohapatra, will have to cough up Rs 1.32 lakh. Similarly, other officers Sudhakar Pradhan, Sarat Chandra Das, Bibekananda Mohanty, Abhimanyu Mohanty will have to deposit the rest of the amount with the government.
