Massive corruption scam unveiled in Sindh Food Dept

Corrupt officials stole wheat worth a whopping Rs3 billion from govt warehouses

KARACHI:

Shocking revelations have emerged regarding rampant corruption within the Sindh Food Department, implicating officials in a scam involving the misappropriation of wheat stocks. An investigation report has exposed the discrepancy in records of spoiled wheat, exposing a staggering loss of Rs3.22 billion to the national exchequer.

The inquiry has disclosed that unscrupulous employees of the Sindh Food Department orchestrated the theft of 379,062 sacks of wheat from various warehouses in the province over the past years, valued at a whopping  Rs3 billion. Using the pretext of the 2022 rains, these officials allegedly resorted to deceitful tactics, including the falsification of records to cover up their illicit activities.

According to the report, officials directly involved in the theft and smuggling of wheat attempted to camouflage the stolen stocks by adulterating damaged wheat with soil and stones. The connivance of district officers further exacerbated the situation, as they failed to account for the missing sacks that had been surreptitiously sold in the market.

On the orders of the caretaker chief minister, the newly appointed chairman sanctioned the submission of the comprehensive investigation report to Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, spearheaded by inspection team member Ali Gul Sanjrani.

The report implicates officials in the brazen theft of 379,000 sacks of wheat, with significant shortages reported in various regions, including Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, and Shaheed Benazirabad.

Moreover, it has been revealed that 200,000 sacks of wheat went missing from warehouses in Karachi alone. The investigation highlighted the cunning ploy employed by Food Department officials to disguise the stolen wheat by mixing it with substandard grains and debris, effectively inflating the recorded quantities.

The investigating officials underscored the alarming revelation that the stocked wheat, purportedly stored for two years, had actually been pilfered and sold in the market, with bags containing damaged wheat and foreign contaminants. Officials deliberately concealed the extent of the wheat's degradation from the investigation team.

The report unequivocally recommends stringent measures to recover the billions of rupees lost due to the wheat fraud, urging decisive action against the culpable officials. Moreover, in light of the compromised quality rendering the wheat unfit for consumption by both humans and animals, immediate steps are urged for its disposal to avert potential health hazards.

Surprisingly, Sindh Minister Jam Khan Shoro expressed unawareness of the scam, promising to provide a statement after obtaining relevant information.

The newly appointed chairman, Shakeel Ahmed Magnijo, has greenlit the submission of the investigation report to Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 1^st, 2024.