New Delhi, September 1, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a corruption case against three Food Corporation of India (FCI) officials and five others over alleged irregularities in the allocation and sale of rice from the FCI Delhi Region to the North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Ltd (NERAMAC), Guwahati, causing an estimated loss of ₹28.87 crore to the food procurement agency.
The FIR, registered on August 27, names the then FCI General Manager, Delhi Region, Kunhiraman Padmini Asha; then Assistant General Manager (Sales) Brahm Prakash; and then Manager (Sales), Delhi Region, Amarendra Vikram.
Those named from NERAMAC are its then Managing Director Bhaskar Barua, Additional General Manager Anjal Kumar Dutta and Deputy Manager (Agri-Business) Dilip Saha. The FIR also names Rajesh Bajaj, director of Utapalakshi Agro Products Pvt Ltd and Dibesh Commercials Pvt Ltd, Guwahati, and Pankaj Saraf, partner of Super Grains, Kolkata.
The CBI case follows a complaint from the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs and an inquiry into the allocation of rice under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) category meant for sale to state governments and their corporations.
According to the FIR, FCI Delhi Region allocated 62,000 metric tonnes of rice to NERAMAC, of which about 50,645 MT was lifted in April 2026 at a concessional rate of ₹23,200 per MT. The prevailing reserve price was ₹28,900 per MT.
The CBI alleged that NERAMAC, being a Central government-owned enterprise, was not eligible under the OMSS (D) 2025-26 policy for allocation without e-auction, as the provision was restricted to state governments and their corporations.
The agency further alleged that payments were routed through private entities identified as rice millers or wholesale dealers, while records did not establish that the rice was distributed for the stated purpose.
Had the lifted quantity been sold through auction at the applicable reserve price, FCI would allegedly have realised an additional ₹28.87 crore, the FIR stated.
The case has been registered under provisions relating to cheating, criminal conspiracy and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The CBI said prior approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act had been obtained for the six government and NERAMAC officials named in the case.
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