PM urged to order CBI probe into alleged massive corruption in cotton bells sale

By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net
 
Bhopal : The Nagpur-based Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, (VJAS), president Kishor Tiwari has urged the Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh to order Central Bureau of Inquiry, (CBI),.enquiry into alleged massive corruption  to the tune of more than Rs.600 millions in the sale of 600,000 cotton bells by the Maharashtra State Cotton Growers Marketing Federation Limited, (MSCGMFL).
  
In an open letter to the Prime Minister, VJAS has drawn his attention to the news items published by the newspaper "Sakal", owned by the Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, regarding massive corruption in the tender sale of more than 600,000 cotton bells by Maharashtra state owned company MSCGMFL, which is widely notorious for making huge losses in the cotton monopoly scheme.
   
The letter pointed out that as per the news item MSCGMFL has officially sold  more than 600,000 cotton bells of raw cotton purchased from the cotton growers mostly from Vidarbha to the three parties named in the report at the rates less than Rs..2000/- than the existing market rate. It is alleged that the officials of MSCGMFL are involved in this massive corruption. In fact this year MSCGMFL has been all set to make profit from the sale of these bells and more than one million cotton farmers of Vidarbha region, who are in deep distress and are committing suicides in 3 to 4 numbers daily, would have been benefited by at least Rs. 200/- per quintal in the way of bonus. However, thanks to corrupt officers of MSCGMFL, these farmers have been deprived from this timely relief aid.
   
According to the news item when Government of India's cotton procurement agency is making huge profit at the same time MSCGMFL is selling the better quality cotton bells at less than Rs. 2000/- per bell with much more relax condition. This corruption has been brought before the media by the directors and cotton traders who are being side-tracked by the officials of MSCGMFL, the letter said.
   
It is a known fact that public tenders for the sale of cotton bells is always manipulated and there is large scale corruption at all levels of functioning of MSCGMFL that makes this federation bring Maharashtra Government more than Rs. 3000 millions accumulated losses. However, Maharashtra Chief Minister has turned a blind eye towards this alleged massive corruption, the letter added.
   
The letter concluded with a prayer requesting the Prime Minister Dr. Singh to order CBI.enquiry into alleged massive
corruption in sale of 600,000 cotton bells by the Maharashtra cotton federation. (
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