ACB Raid Exposes Failure to Act on Spurious Seed Storage
Officials said eight cases under seed and fertiliser laws were not registered.
Karimnagar:The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) conducted a surprise inspection at the Mandal Agriculture Office (MAO) in Peddapalli district and detected administrative lapses and alleged financial irregularities.
The check at the office of the assistant director of agriculture revealed that the MAO had not initiated action against firms allegedly involved in illegal storage of spurious seeds and urea. Officials said eight cases under seed and fertiliser laws were not registered.
The ACB found that key records, including stock registers, attendance logs and inspection registers relating to pesticides and fertilisers, were either not maintained or not updated. Physical records pertaining to the ‘Rythu Bharosa’ scheme were also not available.
The inspection further noted delays in processing farmer welfare applications. Five ‘Rythu Bheema’ applications were pending for over 30 days, while six farm mechanisation applications, which were to be processed within three days, remained pending for 45 days.
Officials also reported that a private individual had allegedly been engaged to perform official duties without authorisation from higher authorities.
The ACB said it was examining certain UPI transactions received by the MAO from private individuals. A detailed report would be submitted to the government for appropriate action.
The Bureau urged the public to report any demand for bribes through its toll-free number 1064 or through its official communication channels, assuring confidentiality to complainants.