Foodgrain scam unearthed in Phagwara

A case of foodgrain misappropriation has come to light at the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation’s facility in Phagwara, with nearly 2,000 bags of wheat found missing during a recent inspection.

According to a formal complaint filed by Tejinder Kaur of the Corporation, Satpal Singh, a Technical Assistant and Centre In charge at the Phagwara warehouse, is accused of manipulating the stock and causing substantial losses to the state exchequer.

The inspection, conducted on August 31 at the Hadiabad warehouse in Phagwara, revealed major discrepancies between the recorded and actual stock of wheat for two consecutive procurement years. While the records indicated a balance of 20,570 bags for the Rabi 2024–25 crop, 1,595 bags were unaccounted for. Similarly, for the Rabi 2025–26 crop, 95,004 bags were listed, but 395 bags were missing. This brings the total shortfall to 1,990 bags, pointing to deliberate manipulation rather than simple clerical errors.

Authorities allege that Singh tampered with stock records and diverted government wheat through fraudulent activities. In response, the Corporation has filed a formal case against him for criminal breach of trust, misappropriation and embezzlement of public resources. The case, registered under section 409 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), raises serious concerns about the integrity of food grain storage and distribution mechanisms in Punjab, which are critical to the state’s food security.