Days after Defence Minister A K Antony promised better quality rations for soldiers, a major scam involving sale of special army rations meant for soldiers posted in Siachen has surfaced in Jammu and Kashmir.
Investigations by the army and Jammu and Kashmir police have unearthed the scam that reportedly involves senior officers of the Leh-based 14 Corps. The pilferage was apparently going on for the last six years, according to an army official.
Army officials claim that they came to know about “fauzi items” being sold in the open market only recently. Subsequently, the investigation was handed over to the police.
“On August 19, the J&K police gave us a list of senior officers whom they want to question,” said an army official. Police raids were conducted on July 11. It took nearly a month for the police to come out with the list.
The annual rations for almost 55,000 soldiers under the 14 Corps guarding the icy heights of Siachen as well as the peaks in Kargil and Drass sectors, are approximately worth Rs 74 crore. It is now suspected that a part of the consignment has been sold in the open market. The items include special high altitude rations like chocolates and special food supplements, along with ice jackets, snow boots, thermal trousers and parachutes.
While the army is conducting a detailed investigation, a preliminary report was submitted to Mr. Antony on Tuesday. The roles of some of the unit and detachment commanders are now under scanner, the officials said.
Scams are not new to the 14 Corps, the most infamous being the one in 2005, senior officers were found guilty of replacing petrol and diesel meant for the troops.
 In the last few years, as many as 25 senior officers from the army and navy, including two 3-star rank army generals, have faced serious corruption charges.
The new scam has surfaced during the tenure of A K Antony, who enjoys a clean reputation.