Global InformationUttar Pradesh food grain scam information
Uttar Pradesh food grain scam took place between years 2002 and 2010, in Uttar Pradesh state in India, wherein food grain worth ₹350 billion (US$4.4 billion), meant to be distributed amongst the poor, through Public Distribution System (PDS) and other welfare schemes like Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), Jawahar Rozgar Yojana and Midday Meal Scheme for Below Poverty Line (BPL) card holders, was diverted to the open market. Some of it was traced to the Nepal and Bangladesh borders, as in 2010 security forces seized Rs 11.7 million worth of foodgrains like paddy and pulses being smuggled to Nepal, another Rs 6062,000 worth of grains were confiscated on the Indo-Bangladesh border.[1][2]
The scam first came into light in 2003, during the Chief Minister ship of Mulayam Singh, in Gonda district in the distribution of foodgrain meant for the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana and soon complaints started pouring in from other districts as well. After initially ordering an inquiry into the scam Mulayam Singh withdrew it.[3] The Special Investigation Team ( SIT) set up by the Mulayam Singh government in 2006, lodged over 5,000 FIRs.[4] The next UP chief minister Mayawati upon assuming office, ordered a CBI probe into the scam on 1 December 2007.[1][2][3][5] Media dubbed it, "mother of all scams", and TV news channel, Times Now reported the scam which started in 2002, under the reign of following Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, estimated to be at over ₹2,000 billion (US$25 billion).[6] Uttar Pradesh as with other states and UTs, is allocated a monthly quantity of foodgrains, i.e. rice and wheat, by the Central government for distribution amongst AAY, BPL and APL families, under TPDS managed by the state government. For the period from April 2010 to March 2011, this quantity for the state was 528395 tons.[7]
- ^ a b "UP foodgrain scam trail leads to Nepal, Bangladesh". The Times of India. 11 December 2010.
- ^ a b "Rs 35,000 crore food grain meant for Uttar Pradesh poor sold outside". DNA. 7 December 2010.
- ^ a b "UP foodgrain scam to come under ED scanner". CNN-IBN. 7 December 2010. Archived from the original on 17 December 2010.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
itcbwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "UP food scam crops up in scandal season". The Financial Express. 8 December 2010.
- ^ "Food grain scam: Mayawati under pressure to act". The Times of India. 7 December 2010.
- ^ "State wise Annual Allocation orders under TPDS: Uttar Pradesh" (PDF). Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (India). 15 March 2010.