Behrampore, Nov. 22: After Burdwan and Birbhum, the Murshidabad authorities today ordered a probe into charges of theft of foodgrain meant for the poor.

Like in the two other districts, a section of ration dealers and panchayat leaders in Murshidabad were allegedly working together to pilfer ration meant for below poverty line people under various centrally-sponsored schemes.

Murshidabad district magistrate N. Manjunatha Prasad today threatened to lodge FIRs against panchayat pradhans.

Officials said Prasad has already conducted a survey in 2,290 villages and identified 240 where literacy is below 10 per cent. Murshidabad is 51 per cent literate.

Out of 254 pradhans, about 50 are said to be suspects in the foodgrain siphoning.

Prasad woke up to the deprivation of villagers after receiving a report on the living conditions in tribal-dominated Hariharpara, where five people allegedly died of starvation over the past two months.

He said: ?I am appalled how so many villages have been deprived of the benefits of central schemes. We are visiting these villages to identify the problems.?