No cut in quantity of rice being distributed under Anna Bhagya scheme: Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan
Bengaluru, July 17: Food and Civil Supplies Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan said that there would not be any reduction in the quantity of rice being distributed to the BPL card holders under Anna Bhagya scheme next month.
Speaking to reporters at the Vikasa Soudha here on Tuesday, he said that in the Budget, the Chief Minister had slashed the quantity of rice from 7 kg to 5 kg and promised of giving other items. But during the debate on the Budget, he had said that there would not be any changes in the quantity of rice under the scheme. After the budget, he had met the Chief Minister and urged him not to cut the quantity of rice, but it was left to his discretion to give other items like salt, sugar and Palmolive oil to the beneficiaries. Even he has noticed the confusion among people regarding the quantity of rice. If it was true, the Chief Minister would have called him and discussed it. But so far, the CM has not discussed anything about it, he clarified.
The department has 280 warehouses in the state. Opposition Leader BS Yeddyurappa had alleged that food grains were rottenning in the warehouses in the state. Now, he was getting all the details about the present condition of the warehouses in the state. Once the department Secretary returned from New Delhi, he, along with him would visit the warehouses to know their condition, the minister said.
Ration stolen: officer suspended
The Minister said that total 1165 quintal rice, 196 quintal wheat and 36 quintal tur dal was stolen from the department warehouse at Nanjangud. Following the incident, Mysuru Deputy Director Rameshwarappa was suspended. Apart from him, depot manager Mylari and computer operator Basavaraju were suspended and registered a case, he said.
Christian community leaders have met him today. Christians were in large number in Udupi, Mangaluru, Chikmagalur and Mysuru region. He would personally visit those districts on August 15 and take stock of the situation to solve their problems, he said.
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Three company directors held in Rs 100-crore investment fraud in Kochi
Kochi (Kerala) (PTI): Police on Sunday arrested three directors of a firm accused of cheating hundreds of investors of over Rs 100 crore through a fake investment scheme linked to agricultural tourism here, officials said.
The accused were identified as Muraleedharan, Ashik Murali and Akhil Murali, all natives of Thrissur.
The arrests were made by the Kalamassery police in connection with a fraud involving ATCOS (Agri Tourism Cooperative Society), a firm headquartered at Pathadipalam here.
Police said the company had promised high returns by collecting investments from the public in the agricultural tourism sector, but allegedly cheated hundreds of people and fled with the money.
ATCOS was registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act and operated 13 branches across various districts in Kerala, besides a branch in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, officials said.
When investors failed to receive their promised returns or the invested amount, complaints were filed with the police.
Officials said around 54 cases have been registered against the firm in 32 police stations across the state, including 29 cases at the Kalamassery police station alone.
Following instructions from Kochi City Police Commissioner K S Mahesh Kumar, a special investigation team was formed under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Shehensha and Thrikkakara ACP Manoj Kumar.
The team traced the accused to an apartment in Amala Nagar in Thrissur, where they had been hiding after secretly renting the flat, officials said.
The bank accounts of the accused have been frozen, and steps have been initiated to trace their assets, officials said.
Police also conducted a raid at the company’s office at Pathadipalam and seized several documents related to the case.
The accused were produced before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Kalamassery, which remanded them to judicial custody and sent them to Kakkanad jail.
Police said they would seek the custody of the accused for further interrogation as the investigation continues.
