Wheat worth nearly Rs 60 lakh has been reported missing from two government procurement centers in Uttar Pradesh's Balrampur district, prompting a police investigation and an arrest.
The disappearance of 228.764 metric tonnes of wheat was discovered during surprise inspections conducted on September 11 at two B-PACS Tulsipur procurement centers. A joint team, including District Food and Marketing Officer Govind Kumar Upadhyay, Assistant Commissioner (Cooperation) Ajay Kumar Maurya, and Additional District Cooperative Officer Devendra Pratap Agrahari, carried out the inspections.
Discrepancies at Both Centers
At the first procurement center, records indicated that 420.87 metric tonnes of wheat had been procured during the 2026-27 season. Of this, 353.759 metric tonnes were delivered to the Food Corporation of India (FCI). The remaining 67.111 metric tonnes were supposed to be held in storage. However, inspectors were denied access to the godown keys, and the facility appeared empty when viewed through its windows, according to police reports.
Similarly, at the second center, procurement records showed 322.600 metric tonnes of wheat, with 160.947 metric tonnes delivered to the FCI. The remaining 161.653 metric tonnes, which should have been in the godown, were entirely absent during the physical verification.
FIR Filed and Arrest Made
The total missing stock of 228.764 metric tonnes has been valued at approximately Rs 60 lakh, calculated based on the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 2,605 per quintal. Superintendent of Police Martand Prakash Singh confirmed that an FIR was registered at Tulsipur police station following a complaint filed by PCF district manager Ashwani Shukla.
The case has been filed against in-charge secretary Prakash Singh and center in-charge Mahendra Mani Tiwari under relevant sections. Prakash Singh has since been arrested as the investigation continues into the significant stock discrepancy.