13 quintals of government rice seized, Food Department serves notice to trader

Bilaspur: 52 sacks (13 quintals) of rice distributed under the Public Distribution System (PDS) have been seized from a private shop in front of Vivek Rice Trading in Nehru Nagar. A joint team of the Food and Revenue Department took this action on Friday. The rice was seized as the shop proprietor did not present any bill related to the rice.

The Food and Revenue Department had received a complaint that PDS rice was being bought and sold in the said shop. Acting on this complaint, a joint team of the Food and Revenue Department inspected the shop. The team seized the rice as the shop proprietor did not present any valid bill. Also, statements of two local residents were also taken during the inspection, who came to sell PDS rice in the shop.

An FIR has been registered against the shop proprietor under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. Apart from this, the ration cards of the residents selling rice will also be canceled. This action was taken as per the instructions of Collector Avneesh Sharan, in which Tehsildar Atul Vaishnav, Additional Tehsildar Siddhi Gabel, Assistant Food Officer Rajiv Lochan Tiwari, Ajay Maurya and Food Inspector Dhirendra Kashyap were present under the guidance of SDM Bilaspur.