Maharashtra govt returns 70% of dal and oil seized from hoarders #WTFnews

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led Maharashtra government has returned about 70% of stocks of dal and oil seized from hoarders, reveals a reply received under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

According to the reply received by RTI activist Anil Galgali, state government carried out its much publicised raids on 5,592 hoarders of commodities across the seven divisions. This resulted in seizing 1.23 lakh metric tons of dal and oil, worth Rs539.50 crore from the hoarders. However, the state government has returned about 70% or 85,547.8 metric tons of dal and oil to the hoarders and has a balance stock 37,480.61 metric tons, reveals the reply received under RTI.

Galgali had to file the first appeal to receive this information. While the maximum raids were conducted in Mumbai and Thane divisions, commodities worth Rs458.55 crore with the quantity being 67,065.810 metric tonnes in total of 35 raids that were conducted in the region, followed by Konkan, where commodities worth Rs55.73 crore, comprising of 36,146.57 metric tons were seized.

In Mumbai and Thane division, the state government has returned stocks of 56,574.45 metric tons out of 59,732.89 metric tons seized. In Nagpur division out of the 7,255.52 metric tons seized 4,939.25 is in stock, and 2,316.27 metric tons was returned. In Konkan division out of the 52,747.26 metric tons seized, 23,362.94 were returned, leaving 29,384.32 metric tons as stock.

However, what is shocking, according to Galgali is, the government returned 100% stocks seized in four divisions, Aurangabad, Amravati, Pune and Nashik. A total of 1,860 metric tons was seized from Amravati, 1,110.47 metric tons seized from Aurangabad, 144.99 metric tons was seized from Pune and 181.67 metric tons was seized from Nashik, which was returned back to the hoarders.

Expressing suspicion on the activities of the government officials in returning the 70% of the seized stock to the hoarders, Galgali demanded an investigation in to this mater. “…the government should investigate and publish the actual facts and true report of the situation. The manner in which the raids were largely publicised, similarly the government acted very swiftly in returning the seized quantities to hoarders. This raises suspicion and too many unanswered questions, which should be explained by the government,” the RTI activist said.