Kejriwal orders suspension of Food Commissioner

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday ordered suspension of the Food Commissioner after quintals of ration for distribution to 4,000 families was allegedly found missing from a ration shop during an inspection by Food Minister Imran Hussain.

“This is very serious. Food of the poorest people is being stolen. Responsibility ought to be ixed at the highest levels. I have directed the suspension of the Food Commissioner,” Kejriwal tweeted.

The suspension order has been sent to Lt. Governor Anil Baijal.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief’s order to suspend Food Commissioner Mohanjeet Singh came after Food and Supply Minister Hussain submitted a report stating that ration from a shop in west Delhi’s Nangloi was found “missing” despite a receipt of delivery.

“During my inspection of a ration shop in Nangloi last night (on Tuesday), I found that the ration which was to be distributed to 4,000 people from December 1 onwards was missing. In all, 152 quintals of wheat and 38 quintals of rice was delivered from the godown but when we force-opened the ration shop, it was empty,” Hussain told the media here.

Hinting at the role of ration maia in the incident, Hussain said that people living near the ration shop also did not see any truck delivering ration at the shop, “which means that the ration was taken somewhere else.”

“This is a huge scam. Even after my incessant orders to the Food Commissioner to inspect these shops, no action was taken. It is not Minister’s responsibility to inspect...the commissioner should do it,” Hussain said.