A deputy commissioner in Jharkhand is facing action from the state food commission in a first such instance in the state.

The food commission in its meeting on Tuesday evening directed its member secretary Sanjay Kumar to consult the senior-most advocate in its panel to initiate action under Section 10 (VIII) of Jharkhand Food Commission 2015 guidelines against Godda deputy commissioner Bhor Singh Yadav for his repeated failure to reply to notices on anomalies in salt and sugar supplies in Sunderpahari block of the district.

“The senior advocate of the commission would file a case in the Godda civil court against the deputy commissioner,” the counsel associated with the state food commission said.

The counsel said that a magistrate would look into the case in accordance with Section 346 of the CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure) 1973.

“I had visited the godown of Jharkhand State Food Corporation in Sunderpahari block of Godda district during my inspection on complaints of irregularities in food distribution on November 25 last year. I found out that huge quantity of salt and sugar not fit for consumption were kept for supply to PDS at the godown. We asked the deputy commissioner for a reply on the issue several times. Even secretary food and civil supplies department, Himani Pande, had on April 5 issued a letter to the deputy commissioner seeking a reply before April 8 and reminding him about the legal implications. However, we have not received any reply and have been compelled to take action against him,” said state food commissioner Himanshu Shekhar Choudhary.

The state food commissioner said the proceedings of the commission’s meeting on Tuesday were forwarded to Himani Pande, Jharkhand chief secretary Sukhdev Singh and principal secretary personnel, administrative reform and Rajbhasa department Vandana Dadel for necessary action.

During the inspection at Sunderpahari block in 2019, the commissioner had found salt consignments manufactured in 2017 that were set to expire within two years. The commissioner had also found that a large amount of sugar that had become unfit for consumption at the godown. The godown officials had admitted that the same salt and sugar would be distributed through PDS shops to ration beneficiaries.

This had led the food commission to write to deputy commissioner Yadav asking him why he kept such salt and sugar for distribution among PDS beneficiaries. Yadav was also asked about the delay in distribution of ration to Antodaya beneficiaries and what action had been taken against dealers not distributing food items in time.

The state food commission sent letters to Yadav on November 26, 2021, December 9, 2021 and January 17, 2022. However, when no reply came even after two months, the commission sent a letter on March 16 to Dadel and Pande for action against the deputy commissioner.

Pande sent a letter to Yadav on April 5 for a final reply on the issue by April 8. No reply came from Yadav even after that.

Repeated attempts to contact Yadav on his official mobile number failed to evince any response.