Working in the Civil Supplies Department in Wanaparthy District has become difficult for officials. Rice millers are accused of diverting government grain and not returning it in time as required. To address this, the government considered using the RR Act to collect the overdue grain from the mills. However, because of political influence, the enforcement of this act was paused, giving the millers more leeway.
Despite this, officials have not been able to recover the grain from the mills that still owe it. This has put them under pressure from both political leaders and the government. As a result, some officials are requesting transfers to escape the situation.
There are also claims that political interference increased after Wanaparthy’s current District Magistrate (DM), Irfan, and the Additional Collector were transferred. The transfer reportedly happened after the Collector conducted a review and found irregularities in the way paddy was being moved from the mills.
It is also alleged that large amounts of money were involved in these transfers, with officials being moved to different areas through lobbying. Reports suggest that around 1,50,000 quintals of paddy from eight mills were unofficially transferred, with significant sums of money changing hands.
In response, the rice millers of Wanaparthy issued a statement denying the opposition’s accusations that Congress leaders are supporting their misconduct. However, leaders from the BRS party claim that the current MLA helped facilitate the transfers of these officials, though the rice millers deny the MLA’s involvement.
Observers note that officials in Wanaparthy are facing significant challenges in collecting the grain owed by the mills. It remains to be seen what actions the newly appointed officials will take against mills that have not settled their pending grain.
