New Delhi, Aug. 31 -- The CBI has unearthed an alleged rice scam in Delhi involving two Assam-based firms and a Kolkata-based company, which allegedly procured 50,645 metric tonnes of rice through the North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Ltd (NERAMAC) from the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and sold it in private markets for wrongful gains of Rs 28.87 crore.
The CBI said the rice was meant to be supplied at affordable rates to daily wage earners, labourers, migrant workers and others not covered under the Public Distribution System due to the absence of ration cards. The alleged irregularities took place between January and May 2026. The agency said NERAMAC was not eligible to receive rice from FCI without participating in an e-auction, as such allocations were permitted only to state governments.
The CBI alleged that NERAMAC officials, in connivance with the three firms, approached the Delhi Food and Civil Supplies Minister on January 7 seeking allocation
without e-auction.
Delhi government forwarded the proposal to FCI on April 8; it approved the allocation the same day, enabling firms to procure cheaper rice. mpost
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.