Punjab’s farmer organisations on Sunday demanded a high level probe of large scale paddy purchase “only on papers and not in stocks” for which payment was also made by the State Food and Supply Department to the farmers through the commission agent.
Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan and general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri demanded that a high level probe of the scam be conducted with immediate registration of cases against the inspectors of procurement agencies, Food and Supply Department and also against the commission agents on alleged charge of cheating and fraud with the State Government and also with the Centre and also cheating the farmers.
“Rice millers and Punjab Mandi Board officers and inspectors were also involved in this scam,” they alleged.
Farmer leaders, referring to a news report, stated that the scam was uncovered on November 6, when the Food and Civil Supply Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashus received a complaint of large scale bogus billing.
The Department, when visited Tarn Taran, found fake purchase of 92,000 bags of paddy by the commission agents in connivance with one of the Government procurement agency, and another 78,000 bags involving Markfed officials was also found.
They pointed that the commission agents, mandi board officers and inspectors were uploading entries on the Department’s official portal, showing paddy purchase, when no actual purchase is being made.
And when an entry for paddy purchase by the commission agent was made, the payment is released to them electronically, while no physical verification of paddy purchase was undertaken, they added.