A peculiar situation has emerged within the Civil Supplies Corporation, highlighting a disconnect between the minister and the officials. Minister Uttam Kumar recently announced the cancellation of fine rice tenders following allegations of massive corruption.
However, no official orders regarding this cancellation have been released yet. Instead, it is reported that top officials of the Civil Supplies Corporation have given verbal instructions to field-level officials not to collect fine rice from the bidders.
In March, the Civil Supplies Corporation invited tenders for the purchase of 2.20 lakh tonnes of milled rice, with an average price of Rs. 57 per kilo quoted by bidders. The corporation has faced heavy criticism for procuring fine rice at a high price through tenders, especially when it is available at a lower cost in the open market. Allegations of corruption amounting to hundreds of crores have surfaced in connection with these tenders.
In response to the backlash, Civil Supplies Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy announced the cancellation of tenders. Despite the minister’s directive, the authorities have not issued any formal orders.