Food dept officer gets show-cause notice

Balurghat: A purchase officer of the Food and Supplies department has been served with show-cause notice allegedly for not uploading the farmers' information at the departmental online portal while purchasing paddy. The accused officer, Safiqul Islam, is posted in Harirampur Kishan Mandi.

District Controller of Food and Supplies department Jayanta Roy said: "The officer who was given the responsibility to purchase paddy from the farmers, violated the government norms while purchasing the same. The information of the farmers was not being uploaded online in the specified pro-forma maintaining a proper muster-roll."

According to him, the accused official was show-caused by the concerned department.

"We have initiated a probe against him. Initially, he has been directed to produce an explanation within three days in front of the authority. If the allegation raised against him is proved correct, then he would be penalised," Roy said.

As per norms, the farmers may avail the opportunity to sell the paddy at the Kishan Mandi of blocks where he is not residing. "According to norms, the farmers from different blocks may register their names in other blocks too for selling the crops but the farmers residing in his own block will be given priority," said an official. A source said a list of 47 farmers was being hung at the Kishan Mandi of Harirampur on Wednesday. Of them, 13 farmers belonged to different blocks. The accused official could not be contacted for comments.