Wheat pilferage: Phoolka demands action against Ludhiana DFSO

Shivani Bhakoo

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 13

Senior AAP leader HS Phoolka on Sunday demanded immediate action against Ludhiana District Food and Supplies Officer Rakesh Bhaskar for his alleged involvement in the pilfering of wheat from a godown in Rakba village near Dakha.

The pilfering of wheat came to light after DC Ludhiana raided the godown along with police and staff from Food and Supplies department on August 9 at around 9.30 pm.

Phoolka said that AAP was following up the matter as the police had failed to book the big fish as local District Food and Supplies department was not providing required information to the police.

Talking to media, Phoolka said it was perhaps the first time where the culprits were caught red-handed but it was unfortunate that till date except for few labourers, no FIR was registered against the “real culprits”.

“This is a big nexus which had started operating during the previous government’s (SAD-BJP) regime, where political bigwigs were involved. In this scam, the inspectors, few DFSOs in state are actively involved while the main culprits remain behind the curtains.

 “The Chief Minister Punjab may have marked an enquiry into the case but the chairman PUNGRAIN has done nothing so far.

“Without the connivance of department’s officials and staff, such pilfering is not possible. Labourers are given proper training on taking out the wheat from bags, adding of water into the bags to increase the weight and finally stitching of bags again as these were originally,” Phoolka claimed.

He further added that the “so-called” leaders, who go to distribute the wheat to poor and needy, should also be held equally responsible in case wheat is provided to the poor in lesser amount in their areas.

Phoolka also said that wheat is generally distributed at a sarpanch’s house or at some leader’s house. This practice should be stopped and the beneficiaries should be provided with wheat at some community centre.

“To get the food grain at subsidised prices is the right of poor but those involved in such scam, filled their pockets first and the poor remain deprived,” he rued.