AMRITSAR – Hundreds of quintals of fortified flour meant to be distributed under the public distribution system was usurped by flour mills in connivance with the Food and Civil Supplies Department staff and ration depot holders.
While the supply of the fortified ‘atta’ (flour) bags remained largely on papers, various mills took the money from the government after showing forged receipts, thus causing huge loss to the state exchequer.
Taking a serious note of the development, Deputy Commissioner Rajat Aggarwal has, via a communiqué to the Secretary, Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Punjab, urged him to hold a high-level probe and take stern action against the erring mill owners.
Earlier, a complaint was lodged by former BJP councillor Naresh Sharma with the district administration and a probe was carried out by the district controller, Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department. Sharma, via a letter to the Chief Minister, Deputy CM and Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Minister, had demanded a probe by an independent agency into the scam. During the investigation, 11 ration depots were checked and the probing team found that it was not practically possible to dole out the quantity of flour distributed by the ration depots, which was shown as lifted from the flour mills on the official website of the department.
