H S Phoolka hints at Rs 127 crore wheat scam-Kanak Ghotala

H S Phoolka hints at Rs 127 crore wheat scam-Kanak Ghotala

CHANDIGARH: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader H S Phoolka on Wednesday alleged a scan in the "atta-dal" scheme for the economically weak in the state. He demanded an inquiry into the "organized racket", which he claimed was causing a loss of up to Rs 127 crore to the state every year by way of wheat being pilfered from sacks.
Addressing a press conference, Phoolka said that on getting complaints from people that the Rs 30 kg bag of wheat being supplied to them was underweight, his supporters decided to keep a watch on storehouses in his constituency Dakha. He claimed that last night there was unusual activity at a storehouse and the Ludhiana district administration was alerted, which raided the place and arrested 11 people who were allegedly caught red-handed stealing wheat from sacks and spraying these with water to make up for the loss of weight.
1.42 crore people of Punjab are being robbed because of this wheat scam. My team ought people red- handed in a warehouse at Mullanpur in Dakha constituency," he said. "The deputy commissioner, along with a DSP and tehsildar, conducted a raid and arrested 11 persons. These people claimed that they were experts in this job and hired by food inspectors to execute this job for them. There are 42 lakh beneficiaries in the state. If each one gets 3kg wheat less than promised, then total amount involved in a year becomes approximately 127 crores," he claimed.
Phoolka demanded that the government should immediately act in a proactive way and ascertain the exact loss. The persons involved in the scam should be identified and legal action should be taken against them. "It is highly probable that high ups are involved in this scam. Also, facility of CCTV coverage and recording should be provided at each location," he said.