Misappropriation of VGF-VGD Rice

UP chairman arrested, another jailed

23 November 2009, 17:00 PM

Star National Desk

Police yesterday arrested a union parishad (UP) chairman in Nilphamari on charge of misappropriating rice under government's special vulnerable group feeding (VGF) programme meant for poor and distressed people before Eid-ul- Azha. Meanwhile, a Faridpur court on Sunday jailed a UP chairman for misappropriation of rice under VGF and VGD. Our Nilphamari Correspondent quoting sources said, yesterday was the schedule date for distributing VGF rice in Charaikhola union of Nilphamari Sadar upazila. The food department allocated 247 bags of rice, each containing 85 kg, against 2100 VGF cardholders in the union. Each cardholder was supposed to get 10 kg of rice. But at the time of distribution, local people noticed that there are 217 bags of rice instead of 247 bags. They immediately brought the matter to the district administration and sought its intervention. Without any delay, ADC (general) Siddiqur Rahman along with a police team went to the spot and detected the irregularities. Police arrested Charaikhola union chairman Mahbubur Rahman from the spot and took him to custody. Chairman Mahbub, however, claimed that due to transportation shortage he could not bring the rest 30 bags rice to the distribution venue, adding he kept them at a safe place for bringing those at a convenient time. Our Correspondent in Faridpur reports: A court on Sunday sentenced a UP chairman to two years rigorous imprisonment (RI) for misappropriation of relief goods. He was also fined Tk 16,806, in default, to suffer three months more in jail Convict Sharif Rafiquzzaman is a UP chairman of Gopinathpur under Sadar upazila in Gopalganj district. Court sources said, Sharif embezzled a portion of 23 metric tonnes of wheat and around five and a half tonnes of rice sanctioned for VGF and VGD in 1999. Gopalganj Sadar UNO Nur Hossain Talukdar filed a case in this connection on May 5, 1999 under Anti Corruption Act. AKM Sirajul Islam, special Judge of Faridpur court handed down the verdict at noon on Sunday.