Bhopal: High Court stays recovery of Rs 33 lakh from warehouse owner

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Jabalpur bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court has stayed the recovery of Rs 33 lakh from warehouse owner on weight loss due to moisture reduction. Due to moisture, about 1000 quintals of paddy lost weight. Manoj Mamta Asati of Sihora, Jabalpur, had filed a petition in High Court, according to advocate Satyendra Jyotish who appeared on behalf of warehouse owner.

Paddy was kept in his warehouse, which was found less in quantity due to moisture. Prakhar Warehouse is located in Dhangwa in which paddy was stored in 2019 and 2020. Paddy was kept in his warehouse, at that time the moisture of paddy was found to be 15% and 16%, but when the paddy was removed from his warehouse after 2 years, the moisture was found to be 9.5 % and 10.2%.

As a result, government issued notice of recovery of Rs 18 lakh against the manager of Warehouse and Logistics Corporation Sihora and Rs 15 lakh against District Marketing Officer Cooperative Marketing Federation, Jabalpur on September 14,2022.

He said, “Under Section 20 of the Madhya Pradesh Agriculture Warehouse Act, 1947, the owner of the warehouse cannot be blamed for loss in weight nor can one impose penalty. It is against the law to recover”.

According to the rules of the government, only 2% reduction in the moisture content of paddy is accepted. “In Madhya Pradesh, there is a contract between the warehouse owner and the government, in which both are collectively responsible, in this way one cannot blame the warehouse owner alone. Considering seriousness, the High Court has stayed the recovery. The hearing of the case has been fixed in the month of December,” advocate added.