Punjab diverting wheat stocks to pvt mills: Goyal

Mumbai, March 15

Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday alleged the Punjab Government is diverting wheat stocks, supplied by the Centre for distribution to poor families, to private mills.

Desist from practice

I have been continuously writing to Punjab Government, and am hoping it will cease and desist from this practice. Piyush Goyal, Union Minister

Goyal, who handles the consumer affairs portfolio, also said the Mamta Banerjee-led West Bengal government was indulging in diverting funds sent by the Centre and misusing them for other needs.

“We are giving wheat to the local Punjab Government and they, instead of distributing it through the local fair price shops are diverting it to private mills, converting it into atta (flour) and it is reported there are instances of mixing high-quality government wheat with poor quality,” he said.

“And then in the garb of giving a service to the consumers by giving them atta, they are actually very often not providing the grain to the people of Punjab,” he added.

Goyal said the Punjab Government was required to send the wheat grain for distribution through the public distribution system, so that the poor could buy the grains at cheaper prices.

The fair price shops need to take the biometrics of the buyer and match it with the Aadhaar details while giving the grain, he added. “I have been continuously writing to the Punjab Government, and am hoping it will cease and desist from this practice,” he said.

In the case of West Bengal, he alleged the state government diverted funds for other purposes and often didn’t not follow laid down norms such as making utilisation certificates.

Wondering why the state government complained about non-release of funds, he said: “Unless the process is followed and funds are used for the right purpose, utilisation certificate is given, obviously the (central) government cannot release fresh funds.”