Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday ordered suspension of the Secretary of Food & Civil Supply (also called as the Food & Civil Supplies Commissioner) Mohanjeet Singh as quintals of ration for distribution to 4,000 families was allegedly found missing from a ration shop situated in the Nangloi area during an inspection by Food & Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain.
Reacting sharply to after the inspection by the Minister, Kejriwal tweeted, "This is very serious. Food of the poorest people is being stolen. Responsibility ought to be fixed at the highest levels. I have directed the suspension of the Food Commissioner". The suspension order has been sent to the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal as Services' department falls under his control.
The suspension order of Mohanjeet, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1991 batch of the Arunachal, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre, came after the Food & Civil Supplies Minister Hussain submitted a report stating that ration from a shop in west Delhi's Nangloi was found missing despite a receipt of delivery.
Hussian later told the media on Wednesday, said "During my inspection of a ration shop in Nangloi last night (Tuesday), I found that the ration which was to be distributed to 4,000 people from December 1 onwards was missing. "In all, 152 quintals of wheat and 38 quintals of rice was delivered from the godown but when we force-opened the ration shop, it was empty," the minister said in secretariat".
Narrating the site inspection, Hussain targeted the role of ration mafia and said that people residing near ration shop did not see truck delivering ration at the shop, which gives the hint of diverting ration loaded trucks somewhere else," he added.
"This is a huge scam. Even after my incessant orders to the Food Commissioner to inspect these shops, no action was taken. It is not Minister's responsibility to inspect...the commissioner should do it," adding, "his department has been asking the L-G and other officials to start doorstep delivery of ration "but no official accepts the proposal," said the minister.
Relating it with Door Step Delivery (DSD) scheme, Hussian, said that we cleared the proposal to start doorstep delivery of ration twice in the cabinet, but no action was taken. I have personally written to the Chief Secretary and the L-G several times but they don't pay attention.
"Now, the Chief Minister has ordered the suspension of the Food & Civil Supplies Commissioner and if the L-G doesn't take action then it will be clear that he is also involved in the whole incident," he asserted. Meanwhile, Mohanjeet Singh in his defence said that there is no suspension and if Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) had been installed, it would have ensured that no ration is diverted from the shops. For the last six months, we have been recommending restoration of EPOS to the Food and Supply Minister but to no avail.
When installed earlier, EPOS was able to stop pilferage worth crores. Why the system was suspended is reasons best known to the Minister," Singh said.