Groundnut Procurement 8 booked for selling Rs 16 L worth jute bags

  • | Monday | 20th August, 2018

Police said that according to primary information, 20.5 lakh bags, worth Rs 15.57 crore, were gutted in the fire, while 4.5 lakh bags worth around Rs 3.42 crore were salvaged. The Opposition Congress has been alleging malpractices in the procurement of around 8.3 lakh metric tonnes of groundnut from the state worth over Rs 3,600 crore. In his complaint, Vaniya said that of the salvaged bags, Zalavadiya shifted 34,800 bags, worth Rs 15.80 lakh to Panam Agrotech, an agri-business firm run by him at Taraghadi village in Padadhari taluka. Out of the total amount generated by selling these bags, he paid Rs 10 lakh to Manoj Vyas, the GUJCOT officer in Ahmedabad. On March 13, a stock of 25 lakh empty jute bags stored in a sub-yard of Rajkot APMC caught fire.

Since January this year, 80,295 quintals of groundnuts valued at Rs 45.61 crore have been gutted in four different incidents of fire in Hapa, Shapar, Gondal and Gandhidham. (Express file photo) Since January this year, 80,295 quintals of groundnuts valued at Rs 45.61 crore have been gutted in four different incidents of fire in Hapa, Shapar, Gondal and Gandhidham. (Express file photo) FIVE MONTHS after a stock of empty jute bags caught fire at the sub-yard of agriculture produce market committee (APMC) of Rajkot, police on Sunday booked two GUJCOT managers and six others for allegedly selling off 34,800 empty jute bags worth Rs 15.80 lakh without approval from authorities after salvaging them from the fire. The FIR comes a day after the state government announced to form an inquiry commission to probe into the allegations of malpractices in the procurement of groundnut in the state. The two officials GUJCOT (Gujarat State Cooperative Cotton Federation) named in the FIR are Magan Zalavadiya, the warehouse manager for Saurashtra zone, and Manoj Vyas, the marketing manager, besides them, Zalavadiya’s relative Kanji Dholariya, his associate Mansukh Limbasiya, aides — Paresh Sankharva and Niraj — as well as two traders, Mahesh Bhanushali and Aravind Thakkar, have been named in the FIR filed on Saturday night. This is second case registered against Zalavadiya. He was arrested on August 4 for his alleged role in adulteration in groundnut stock at Pedhla village godown. “The case came to light during the interrogation of Zalavadiya by Rajkot Rural police in connection with a case registered at Jetpur rural police station. Gondal Circle Police Inspector (V R Vaniya) who is a part of the police team investigating the Jeptur case, filed a written complaint with B Division police station of Rajkot city and we have lodged an FIR,” Rajkot City Police Commissioner Manoj Agrawal said. All the eight have been booked under IPC sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), and others relating to forgery of records, destruction of evidence, criminal conspiracy, and dishonest or fraudulent removal or concealment of property. On March 13, a stock of 25 lakh empty jute bags stored in a sub-yard of Rajkot APMC caught fire. Police said that according to primary information, 20.5 lakh bags, worth Rs 15.57 crore, were gutted in the fire, while 4.5 lakh bags worth around Rs 3.42 crore were salvaged. In his complaint, Vaniya said that of the salvaged bags, Zalavadiya shifted 34,800 bags, worth Rs 15.80 lakh to Panam Agrotech, an agri-business firm run by him at Taraghadi village in Padadhari taluka. With the help of his associate Limbasiya and relative Dholariya, Zalavadiya sold 10,800 of those bags to Ashapura Traders, a firm owned by Mahesh Bhanushali of Rajkot and 24,000 bags to Sagar Traders, another firm owned by Rajkot-based trader Aravind Thakkar. “Zalavadiya shifted the bags out of the Rajkot APMC yard and sold them off without due approval from competent authority. Out of the total amount generated by selling these bags, he paid Rs 10 lakh to Manoj Vyas, the GUJCOT officer in Ahmedabad. We have also booked the two traders as they purchased the bags for monetary gain though they were aware that the stock belonged to the government,” police said. Police said that Sankharva and Niraj tore off leaves from register and made false entries in them with a view to cover up the movement of bags. “We are questioning some persons in connection with the case registered today. While we are waiting for report from forensic science laboratory to ascertain the causes of fire on March 13, we shall probe if there is any connection between the incident of fire and the illegal sale of jute bags,” the police commissioner added. Last year, the Centre had appointed NAFED to procure groundnut from Gujarat. NAFED had in turn engaged five state cooperative federations, including GUJCOT, for carrying out procurement from farmers. The Opposition Congress has been alleging malpractices in the procurement of around 8.3 lakh metric tonnes of groundnut from the state worth over Rs 3,600 crore. Start your day the best way with the Express Morning Briefing For all the latest Ahmedabad News, download Indian Express App

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