RAIPUR
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Monday said that a former managing director of the Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Marketing Federation (MARKFED henceforth) and an office-bearer of a local rice millers’ association pulled off a “Custom Rice Milling special incentive scam” in the State, generating ₹175 crore bribes for the “benefit of higher powers”.
With less than a fortnight to go for the first phase of Chhattisgarh elections, the latest ED claim comes as another arsenal for the Opposition that has been targeting the State’s Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government over other alleged scams connected to coal levy, liquor sales and online betting. The ED is probing money laundering angle in all these cases as well and has arrested, or named as accused, several bureaucrats and politicians.