It seems that the functioning of Ernakulam depot of the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation, Supplyco, is going haywire thanks to official apathy. It is alleged that the Depot Management Committee (DMC) formed to monitor all sorts of purchases has been flouting norms.
Despite the rule that every DMC member, including depot manager, junior manager, a member nominated by the regional manager and a super market manager, have to be changed once in three months, a member has been serving in the committee for the last three years, Supplyco sources say.
This rule is formulated to ensure the transparency of the committee. Sources allege that there is so much corruption in the depot that a supplier who agreed to supply five loads of rice during Onam backed out at the eleventh hour when the price of rice in the open market went up, putting the Corporation in deep trouble.
As per rules, Supplyco has to blacklist the supplier and initiate action against them. However, instead of going for stringent measures, the Corporation glossed over their faults stating that they could not unload the rice owing to the lack of space in the depot.
“The members even convened an emergency DMC meeting after Onam and purchased loads of rice from the same supplier for an increased amount,” they said.
Certain rules have to be adhered to grant a supplier the right to supply rice. “A decision can be taken in this regard only after conducting a 15-day inspection. But when it comes to convening DMC meeting at Ernakulam, it is always a secret. Apart from it, all suppliers are not informed of it except their favourites,” they alleged.
To add more trouble, the lethargy showed by the custodian of the Ernakulam depot has augmented the trouble. He is in-charge of the distribution of stock to all the 33 outlets under the Ernakulam depot. Though many outlet managers have complainted about him, no action has been taken yet.
When asked, Ernakulam depot manager P T Suraj refuted the allegations.
“There has been no such issues,” he said.
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