Dispatch News.
Bilaspur. The High Court has stayed the order of the administration to file an FIR for the recovery of shortage paddy and non-deposit of money to the committees or to pay by attaching movable and immovable property. A double bench of Justice Sanjay K Agarwal has also forbidden the government to take coercive or punitive action against the committees.
The Gariaband Sub-Divisional Officer had issued recovery orders against Tribal Caste Service Cooperative Limited Gohrapadar and Tribal Caste Service Cooperative Limited Tetalkhutti. On this, the committees had submitted a petition in the High Court through advocate Anjinesh Anjay Shukla. It was told on behalf of the petitioner that there was a tripartite agreement between the District Co-operative Central Bank Raipur, District Marketing Officer Gariaband and the petitioner societies for the purchase of paddy. According to the agreement, the District Marketing Officer should lift the paddy within 72 hours of the date of purchase. It had to be lifted when in stock or within one month from the time of purchase. But the marketing officer did not appoint any transporter till the date of purchase.
After a month, more paddy was collected than the buffer stock, as a result, the paddy exceeded the prescribed limit. Due to excessive paddy, there was a problem in the maintenance of paddy and after rain, the paddy became rotten which led to the paddy shortage. After hearing the side of the petitioners, a bench of Justice Sanjay K Agarwal, while staying the recovery order issued by the Gariaband sub-divisional officer to the committees, has also forbidden the government from coercive or punitive action against the committees.
