Cong to lodge FIR for theft of Rs 12,000-cr foodgrain : The Tribune India

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Cong to lodge FIR for theft of Rs 12,000-cr foodgrain

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Congress will lodge a FIR for theft of food stock worth Rs 12,000 crore reportedly missing from Punjab godowns.



Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 19

The Punjab Congress will lodge a FIR for theft of food stock worth Rs 12,000 crore reportedly missing from Punjab godowns.

Holding the state government responsible for the theft of food grains, senior leaders have been asked by the party to visit the grain markets to take stock of the plight of the farmers before starting an agitation on the issue.

Former CLP leader Sunil Jakhar, who has been entrusted with responsibility of analysing the issue before lodging a case, said a compliant would be lodged at the Mohali police station of the state vigilance department.

“We would meet the Governor and take the issue to a logical conclusion”, he said.

The Congress has already raised questions on the entire procurement process and the element of accountability. The party has linked the missing food stocks to the finding of the CAG report for 2013-2014.

“If the ED can pursue a case against Vijay Mallya for diverting Rs 430 crore of the Rs 900 crore bank loan to acquire properties abroad, the Centre should also act against the Punjab government for diverting Rs 900 crore of procurement money for the Atta- Dal scheme”, said the MLA from Abohar.

Since PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh is on a foreign tour, other senior leaders have been asked to visit the grain markets in their areas. The panel, headed by PPCC vice- president, Lal Singh, will meet here tomorrow to work out the modalities.

Leaders fan out in mandis

Former CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal visited the Sangrur grain market and said that now the new gunny sacks are supposed to be laboratory certified. How was it possible when there is only one testing laboratory in the district?

Leader of Opposition, Charanjit Singh Channi, today visited the grain markets in Chamkaur Sahib and Ropar to take stock of the situation. “The government has failed to arrange bardana for the procured crop. Yet another problem was non-lifting of the stocks as this was also again related to non-availability of sacks. He said the requirement of bardana is assessed on the basis of production estimates and order should have been placed for gunny bags well in advance”.

Make payments or face agitation: ex–MLA

A former MLA Surinderpal Singh Sibia today held a protest in the grain market here. His supporters raised slogans against state government, alleging that farmers were being harassed in the mandis. He said they would block roads if the farmers payments were not cleared by April 23.

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