https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpgpUbGhQFo
Rice Scam in Bangalore ISKCON Temple
BANGALORE: The ISKCON temple in Bangalore stands accused of selling rice it was given free by the Karnataka state government, meant for the midday meal scheme for school children. (more here)
‘No truth in Iskcon’s rice donation claims’
TNN | Updated: Jun 22, 2019, 19:32 IST
VISAKHAPATNAM: Officials of vigilance and enforcement department on Friday refuted the ‘rice donation’ claims of Iskon authorities, saying there is no truth to their claims. Iskcon authorities have claimed that the seized ricke stock was donated by devotees, and that the stock was supposed to be exchanged for good quality rice for preparation of prasadam. Vigilance officials, however, said Iskcon has been getting donations through cash and cheques from donors for the past many years, and not in the form of rice bags.
Speaking to TOI, K Sravani, regional vigilance and enforcement officer (in-charge) of Vizag, said they have information that no one donated rice to Iskcon. “We seized 19.8 tonnes of rice meant for mid-day meal (MDM) scheme from Iskcon premises at Sagarnagar in Vizag city. The rice was being shifted in gunny bags issued by the civil supplies department into plastic bags and the stock was ready to be transported to Kakinada. How can devotees donate MDM rice to Iskcon when it is not available in the open market?” Sravani asked.
Iskcon has been supplying mid-day meals to over 10,000 students of 69 government schools within Vizag city limits. “The rice is supplied by the civil supplies department and is solely meant for MDM scheme. Our teams also visited Kakinada and have gathered some concrete clues about the diversion of MDM scheme rice. Iskcon people are definitely involved in the rice scam,” she added.
The vigilance officials are waiting for district collector Vinay Chand’s nod to register criminal cases against Iskcon authorities, she said.
City police bust a rice scam in mid day meal at ISKCON Vizag
https://www.yovizag.com/iskcon-vizag-mid-day-meal-rice-scam/
The Vigilance and Enforcement (V&E) department conducted a raid at the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) office at Sagar Nagar in Vizag on Monday. This happened after they were tipped that the rice grains supplied by the Civil Supplies Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, was being illegally transported to Kakinada for export through a private firm. ISKCON is one of the agencies empaneled for the mid day meal (MDM) scheme for providing at government schools in the state.
Reportedly, when interrogated by V&E officials, Samba Das, President of ISKCON Vizag, denied the allegations saying that they received the rice as donations from devotees. He claimed that as some of it is not of good quality, they sell it in return for better quality grains. Additionally, he stated to have all the receipts for the mid day meal scheme and that the manager, who was earlier removed from the society for misbehaving with women, had given false news to the officials. However, later on, the ISKCON accountant clarified that donations are only accepted in the form of cash and not as commodities. Following this discovery, Mr. Vinay Chand (IAS). the Visakhapatnam District Collector has demanded the accounts statements from ISKCON and instructed them to present their version of the case.
During the raid, V&E officials had noticed rice packed in plastic instead of the gunny bags they were supplied in. The bags also had the letters ‘Sealony and Export Par Sri Sitaramanajaneya, Kakinada’ written on them which proved they were being transported for export. In addition to 110 bags, loaded in the lorry, the officials also noticed an additional 286 bags that were shifted to plastic bags and readied for transport. This brings the total to 396 bags cumulatively weighing approximately 19.8 Metric Tonnes of rice.
Cases have been booked under the Essential Commodities Act against Shyam Sundar Priya Das, the ISKCON priest, MSN Murthy, ISKCON manager, the lorry driver V. Sanyasi Rao and his accomplice Gavara Eswar Rao.
Investigations showed that since the past few months there have been no records being maintained on the MDM scheme. thereby allowing Shyam Sundar to carry out these illegal activities freely.
In recent progress on the case, the rice bags found in Kakinada had the words ‘‘Saelony’, ‘Long Grain Riz Blanc Indien’ printed on them. This is a French used in some African countries, thus implying that the rice was being smuggled to Africa by a private export firm in Kakinada.
Furthermore, the president of ISKCON Visakhapatnam had mentioned receiving the rice as donations from devotees. The accountant pointed out that they only accept cash as donations and not rice grains.
In addition to the 396 bags of rice found by the officials, they also found another 396 empty bags. With no records on the MDM present at ISKCON, there are no details that the rice was received as donations. However, the police await the results of further investigations.
Following the raids, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions(CITU) demands that the CBI probe further into this matter and that the State government breaks all its ties with ISKCON.
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ISKCON RICE SCAM
Report submitted to Visakhapatnam Collector
VISAKHAPATNAM: Following surprise raids on the Sagar Nagar office of ISKCON from where mid-day meal (MDM) scheme rice was being diverted to other cities, Civil Supplies department officials submitted a detailed report to District Collector V Vinay Chand. The officials are awaiting orders from the Collector to lodge a criminal case against those involved in the scam.
While Vigilance officials have seized 396 bags of rice, shifted from the Civil Supplies bags to private rice bags, it is learnt that V&E officials in Kakinada have found that the rice was allegedly being exported to African countries through a private export company. Letters written as ‘Saelony’, ‘Long Grain Riz Blanc Indien’ indicate that it is a variety of French language used in some of the African countries.
ALSO READ: Raid on Vizag ISKCON office unearths mid-day meal rice diversion
“While the ISKCON officials have said that the rice came from donors, the accountant at the ISKCON said they only take cash and not rice as donation. Also the bags that were said to be brought from Poorna Market were found in Kakinada; they were also said to be manufactured in Kakinada,” the V&E officer said.
Apart from the 396 rice bags, the officials also found another 396 empty bags kept aside. With no proper records at the ISKCON on the MDM for the past few months, the officials found there are no records of rice which they got through donations.
“The letters on the bags written ‘Export’ to Sri Sitaramanajaneya, Kakinada, shows that it is an export company in Kakinada. There is also a company with the same name, which is into export business. However, we are yet to get more details during our investigation,” DSP and in-charge Regional Vigilance and Enforcement Officer of Visakhapatnam district K Sravani said, while speaking to TNIE.
Modus operandi
Vigilance officials seized 396 bags of rice, shifted from the Civil Supplies bags to private rice bags, it is learnt V&E officials in Kakinada have found that the rice was allegedly being exported to African countries.
See also from 2009:
https://www.ndtv.com/video/news/news/rice-scam-in-bangalore-isckon-temple-108488
Chapter 16: The Divine and Demoniac Natures
TEXT 7
pravrttim ca nivrttim ca
jana na vidur asurah
na saucam napi cacaro
na satyam tesu vidyate
SYNONYMS
pravrttim—proper action; ca—also; nivrttim—improper action; ca—and; janah—persons; na—never; viduh—know; asurah—in demoniac quality; na—never; saucam—cleanliness; na—nor; api—also; ca—and; acarah—behavior; na—never; satyam—truth; tesu—in them; vidyate—there is.
TRANSLATION
Those who are demoniac do not know what is to be done and what is not to be done. Neither cleanliness nor proper behavior nor truth is found in them.
PURPORT
In every civilized human society there is some set of scriptural rules and regulations which are followed from the beginning, especially among the Aryans, those who adopt the Vedic civilization and who are known as the most advanced civilized peoples. Those who do not follow the scriptural injunctions are supposed to be demons. Therefore it is stated here that the demons do not know the scriptural rules, nor do they have any inclination to follow them. Most of them do not know them, and even if some of them know, they have not the tendency to follow them. They have no faith, nor are they willing to act in terms of the Vedic injunctions. The demons are not clean, either externally or internally.
One should always be careful to keep his body clean by bathing, brushing teeth, changing clothes, etc. As far as internal cleanliness is concerned, one should always remember the holy names of God and chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The demons neither like nor follow all these rules for external and internal cleanliness.
As for behavior, there are many rules and regulations guiding human behavior, such as the Manu-samhita, which is the law of the human race. Even up to today, those who are Hindu follow the Manu-samhita. Laws of inheritance and other legalities are derived from this book. Now, in the Manu-samhita, it is clearly stated that a woman should not be given freedom. That does not mean that women are to be kept as slaves, but they are like children. Children are not given freedom, but that does not mean that they are kept as slaves. The demons have now neglected such injunctions, and they think that women should be given as much freedom as men. However, this has not improved the social condition of the world. Actually, a woman should be given protection at every stage of life. She should be given protection by the father in her younger days, by the husband in her youth, and by the grownup sons in her old age. This is proper social behavior according to the Manu-samhita. But modern education has artificially devised a puffed up concept of womanly life, and therefore marriage is practically now an imagination in human society. Nor is the moral condition of woman very good now. The demons, therefore, do not accept any instruction which is good for society, and because they do not follow the experience of great sages and the rules and regulations laid down by the sages, the social condition of the demoniac people is very miserable.