CBI probe sought into bogus paddy purchase

Our Correspondent

Ferozepur, November 25

Congress MLA from Zira Kulbir Singh has demanded a CBI inquiry into large-scale misappropriation and “bogus purchase of 1 lakh bags of paddy worth Rs 5.6 crore by certain rice millers in connivance with government officials”.

The MLA said it was necessary to break the nexus and check the illegal movement of paddy from other states to Punjab. During inspection, the district manager of Ferozepur had detected abnormal purchase at Jiwan Arain and Panje Ke Uttar grain markets by local commission agents two days ago during which some businessmen and local firms had also been identified who were behind the racket.

These firms had allegedly made bogus purchase of 86,939 bags of paddy in connivance with another rice mill in Jiwan Arain against which payments to the tune of Rs 5.6 crore was taken. It had further come to fore that erring millers were planning to buy paddy from other states like UP and Bihar, where it is much cheaper than the MSP in Punjab and then deliver the same during milling to make a quick buck. Meanwhile, another Congress MLA Parminder Singh Pinki said though the police had booked some millers in this case, no action had been initiated against them.

District managers of Punsup had been told by Food and Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu to recheck all purchases and verify the same with stocks on the millers’ premises personally.