PADDY THEFT AT PACS WAREHOUSE

PADDY THEFT AT PACS WAREHOUSE

13-MAY-ENG 1

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

BHABHUA----------------------A case involving the alleged theft and illegal sale of paddy from a PACS warehouse has come to light in the Bhitari Bandh Panchayat, located within the Rampur block of the district. It is alleged that the PACS President, Manoj Kumar Jaiswal, and the PACS Manager, Sachin Jaiswal, were transporting paddy out of the warehouse without any accompanying challans (invoices). Reports suggest that the removal of the paddy was being carried out in the absence of the manager.

Upon receiving information regarding the incident, the Rampur Block Development Officer (BDO) and the in-charge of the Sabar Police Station arrived at the scene. Taking immediate action, they sealed the PACS warehouse; additionally, the tractor transporting the paddy was seized and impounded within the police station premises. A video of the entire incident is also rapidly going viral on social media, sparking various discussions and rumors throughout the locality. The administration has now commenced an investigation into the matter.

Commenting on the incident, District Cooperative Officer Shashi Kant Shashi stated that the PACS warehouse does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Block Development Officer; therefore, taking action against the PACS warehouse was not appropriate. He asserted that any complaints received regarding the PACS warehouse should have been directed to either the Block Cooperative Officer or the District Cooperative Officer, rather than the BDO taking independent action. The Cooperative Department does not fall within the BDO's scope of authority. Action against a PACS warehouse can only be initiated by the District Magistrate (DM) or by officials of the Cooperative Department—specifically at the block or district level.

In light of this, a pertinent question now arises: with the formation of a new government in Bihar, are officials, amidst the ensuing administrative shuffle, forgetting their own jurisdictional boundaries and encroaching upon the domains of other departments? Furthermore, was paddy indeed being illicitly sold from the PACS warehouse? For the time being, this remains a subject of investigation. It remains to be seen what conclusions emerge once the inquiry is complete.