Lucknow: A major discrepancy has surfaced in government wheat stocks in Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur district, where nearly 228.764 metric tonnes of grain was allegedly found missing from two procurement centres. The wheat is estimated to be worth around ₹60 lakh.
Officials discovered the shortage during a surprise inspection of the two procurement centres on September 11. The team compared procurement documents with the physical stock available at the warehouses and found substantial differences.
67 Tonnes Missing At First Centre
Records at the first procurement centre showed that around 420.87 metric tonnes of wheat had been purchased during 2026-27.
Of this, 353.759 metric tonnes had been dispatched to the Food Corporation of India (FCI), leaving an expected balance of 67.111 metric tonnes at the warehouse.
However, the inspection team was reportedly not given the key to the warehouse. According to police, officials looked through a window and found the warehouse apparently empty, raising questions over the missing stock.
No Physical Stock At Second Centre
Similar discrepancies were detected at the second procurement centre.
Documents showed that the centre had procured 322.600 metric tonnes of wheat, of which 160.947 metric tonnes had been sent to the FCI.
This meant that 161.653 metric tonnes should have remained in storage. However, officials allegedly found no physical wheat stock during the inspection.
Taken together, the two centres were expected to hold 228.764 metric tonnes of wheat, but the entire quantity was allegedly unaccounted for during the inspection.
FIR Registered After Inspection
Based on the minimum support price (MSP) of ₹2,605 per quintal, the missing wheat is valued at nearly ₹60 lakh.
Following the discovery, an FIR was registered at the Tulsipur police station on a complaint filed by Ashwani Shukla, district manager of the Provincial Cooperative Federation (PCF).
Authorities are expected to investigate how the wheat went missing and whether procurement or warehouse records were manipulated.
