Bhubaneswar, Jan 21: The Odisha government on Thursday suspended 15 secretaries of primary agricultural cooperative societies (PACS) under the charge of irregularities in the purchase of paddy in 2020-21 Kharif season.

The state government also dismissed a data entry operator of Sadha PACS in Keonjhar district.

The suspension orders were issued to secretaries of PACS under Central Cooperative Banks of Sambalpur, Balangir, Boudh and Keonjhar.

The secretaries have been suspended in order to ensure transparency in paddy procurement by the government. Any kind of irregularities and dereliction of duty in the process will not be tolerated, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain said