The public distribution system in the district has seriously lost track as the officials of the civil supplies department in connivance with some unscrupulous brokers and shopkeepers have been shifting the rice and wheat meant for the poor to the open market so as to sell them in the black market.

One such incident came to light when a truck loaded with fair price rice and wheat was apprehended by the crime branch officials yesterday night near a rice mill situated at the Shivpuri Link Road. The truck, bearing registration number MP 06 HC 2389 had loaded 490 sacks of rice and wheat from the Civil Supplies warehouse situated at Laxmi Gunj, Gwalior. The rice and wheat were meant for distribution in the fair price shops of the rural areas of the district.

On a tip- off that the truck was unloading the rice and the wheat at a rice mill, Gwalior IG Rambabu Singh informed SP Aman Singh Rathore and asked him to look into the matter. The SP immediately formed a team of Crime Branch officials who apprehended the truck and arrested the driver, Monu Yadav around midnight.

During interrogation of the driver it was learnt that the rice and wheat were taken from the warehouse by  Ramji Das Yadav, a contractor of the Civil Supplies Corporation. It also came to light that the contractor was earlier too arrested for the same offence. Instead of blacklisting him the corporation authorities have been supplying rice and wheat to him.

Speaking to the media persons, Yogesh Singh, District Manager, Civil Supplies Corporation said that a proposal to blacklist the contractor was sent to Bhopal but it is still pending and as such no action could be taken against him.