Panel sends for officer over ration shop licence ‘irregularity’

NEWDELHI: A special inquiry committee of the Delhi assembly, constituted last year to investigate the alleged irregularities by former lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung’s office while restoring the licence of a ration shop in Burari area of north Delhi, has summoned the ‘original records’ from the L-G office.

The committee met on Monday and decided to summon the officer who reportedly assisted Jung in taking the decision.

“The department of food and civil supplies has told the committee that the decision to cancel the ration shop licence at Burari was taken by the department after it received complaints from the local people that the owner sold poor quality ration. The department’s decision was endorsed by the commissioner, when the ration shop went in appeal against the department’s decision,” a source said.

The panel has already examined officials of the food and civil supplies department on the issue.

The Delhi assembly, on June 9 last year, had adopted a motion moved by Aam Aadmi Party legislator Saurabh Bharadwaj to form a nine-member panel after Burari MLA Sanjeev Jha raised the issue and pleaded with the assembly to take a serious view of the matter. He said it was a fit case to be considered under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The matter relates to an order passed by the L-G on April 13, in which Jung as an appellate authority, revoked the food and supplies department’s order cancelling the licence of the fair price shop in Burari.

The L-G office had then clarified that the order was passed as it was a case of appeal under clause 6 (8) of the Delhi Specified Articles (Regulation of Distribution) Order 1981.

“On an appeal filed by the aggrieved widow shop owner, (the) Lt. governor as an appellate authority, after hearing all sides, including the department of food supplies & consumer affairs, has passed a considered and detailed order, based on facts placed before him in his court, setting aside the cancellation of the licence of the fair price shop and restoring the licence to the widow,” a statement from the L-G office had said.