JAGARIA PACS PRESIDENT REFUTED Rs. 16 CRORE EMBEZZLEMENT ALLEGATIONS

JAGARIA PACS PRESIDENT REFUTED Rs. 16 CRORE EMBEZZLEMENT ALLEGATIONS

11-NOV-ENG 3

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

BHABHUA----------------------The ongoing controversy surrounding an alleged ₹16 crore embezzlement and paddy procurement scam at the Jagaria Primary Agriculture Credit Society (PACS) in Chainpur block has taken a significant turn. Addressing the press, Jagaria PACS President Sanjay Kumar Pandey categorically rejected the accusations, describing them as completely fabricated, baseless, and manufactured out of political vendetta.

Clearing the air regarding the scale of procurement, Pandey clarified that the society has never engaged in a total business volume or paddy procurement anywhere near ₹16 crore. He explained that the PACS functions within an official Cash Credit (CC) limit of approximately ₹1 to ₹2 crore. This allotted amount is routinely rotated to facilitate seasonal paddy purchases from local farmers, making the claim of a ₹16 crore financial misappropriation structurally and mathematically impossible.

Responding to charges that paddy was fraudulently purchased under the names of tea stall owners, street vendors, or uninformed individuals, Pandey highlighted the robust verification protocols in place. He emphasized that the entire procurement process is digitized, transparent, and strictly monitored.

Under the established system, transactions are authorized on Point of Sale (POS) machines only upon biometric fingerprint verification and One-Time Password (OTP) validation from the concerned farmer. Furthermore, payments are transferred directly into verified bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), eliminating any scope for manual interference or proxy transactions.

Addressing allegations concerning his family's paddy sales, Pandey provided details regarding their landholdings. He stated that his father owns 11 acres of agricultural land. In addition to their ancestral property, his family actively cultivates leased farmland belonging to other landholders. Consequently, their paddy sales were executed legally under the designated non-tenant (gair-raiyat) farmer framework in complete compliance with government norms.

Pandey attributed the formal complaints submitted to the District Magistrate to Chandrashekhar Singh (alias Laddu Singh) of Jagaria Sherpur. According to Pandey, Singh has faced consecutive electoral defeats against him in the PACS presidential elections held in 2014, 2021, and 2026.

Pandey alleged that after failing to secure democratic support, Singh turned to filing malicious petitions across administrative forums to harass him. He further claimed that the complainant had approached his associates demanding a financial payoff to withdraw the complaints.

Several local agriculturalists have voiced support for the PACS administration, refuting the scam allegations. Farmers including Arun Kumar Singh from Karwandia and Ajit Kumar Singh from Jagaria affirmed that paddy procurement at the society proceeds smoothly, with funds credited directly into their accounts via DBT without delay, praising the transparent administration of the society.