3 Fci officials detained

Annoyed over the detention of their three colleagues from Regional Center Bahu Plaza yesterday by Crime Branch, employees and workers of Food Corporation of India (FCI) this morning went on indefinite strike across Jammu and Kashmir.

They were demanding unconditional release of their comrades and action against the involved officials of Crime Branch, alleging that this was a case of illegal detentions. The Crime Branch, however, maintained that the FCI authorities had been detailed about the case and denied that there was anything illegal about the arrests.

All the regional, district and tehsil offices, centres and godowns of FCI across the state remained closed throughout the day as the employees and workers went on strike. FCI Executive Staff Union, FCI Staff Union, Bhartiya Khadaye, Nigam Karamchari Union, Class IV employees Union and FCI workers’ Union have jointly given the strike call against the detention of their colleagues.

Infuriated over what they said was ‘illegal detention’ of three colleagues namely Satbir Singh (Assistant Grade I), Vijay Anand (Assistant Grade II) and Rattan Chand Assistant Grade (II) from regional Center Bahu Plaza last evening, all the employees and workers of FCI today morning assembled outside the Regional Center FCI Bahu Plaza. They were raising slogans against the Crime Branch authorities and in favour of their demands.

While criticising the Crime Branch authorities, President FCI Staff Union North India Daljeet Singh said that without permission of FCI management, the Crime Branch authorities had detained three FCI officials and taken them to unknown place.

“Crime Brach authorities have arrested our colleagues on the pretext of pilferage of ration but we ask them who is the main culprit? FCI is a central agency and Crime Branch has no authority to take action against FCI officials. It is only to save the real culprits that the Crime Branch authorities are harassing our colleagues, considering them as soft targets,” he said and alleged that the actual culprits have strong political links and so Crime  Branch is not taking action against them.

FCI Executive Staff Union Chairman Multan Singh said, “FCI has no role in the public distribution system. We only supervise and are responsible during the loading of ration on trucks from our godowns, after which it is the responsibility of contractors to deliver the ration at various destinations”. He further said, “FCI authorities took lakhs of rupees from the contractors in advance as security. If some contractor would sell the ration illegally, FCI authorities charge double the cost of food grain from the same contractor.”

All the employees in one voice demanded unconditional release of their colleagues and action against the officers of Crime Branch who had detained their colleagues illegally without any arrest warrant. Employees and workers also decided to continue their strike till the fulfillment of their demands.

Inspector General Crime Branch Raja Aijaj Ali, however, said, “A complaint under FIR 17/2009 had been lodged at Police station Crime Branch Kashmir in year 2009. As per the complaint, 144 trucks of ration were loaded from FCI depot Jammu but all these trucks had not crossed the Lower Munda toll post”.

“During investigation of the case, Crime Branch found that out of 144 trucks, 80 vehicles were either scooters or cars. They made fictitious brouchers of the vehicles and all the ration had been sold in the black market” he said.

He further added that they had already informed the FCI administration around 15 days ago about the likely involvement of some employees in a criminal case but they had requested for some days time for ration supply to various areas. “The administration had agreed to handover the involved employees after few days but they were unable to do so after which we arrested the employees,” he further said.

When asked about the involvement of influential Contractors in the pilferage of ration, he said that the detained FCI employees, who have been caught on suspicion, know about the culprits and contractors involved in that huge scam and on their disclosure the actual culprits would be caught. They are being interrogated and further investigations are going on.