‘Foodgrain scam’: Jakhar dares govt to carry out stock verification
JALANDHAR: Chief spokesperson of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) and state legislator Sunil Jakhar on Thursday alleged that the recent advertisements issued by the Punjab government claiming “no discrepancy in storage of wheat” were a “desperate attempt” to deflect attention from the alleged multicrore foodgrain scam in Punjab.
Jakhar, who was addressing a press conference here, said the advertisement contradicted the government’s stand as these only showed figures of storage and available stocks in godowns storing wheat, while objections raised by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) are about the missing wheat and paddy.
The Congress leader alleged a large amount of paddy has been siphoned off from rice mills, and many of these mills are owned by leaders of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) or their family members.
“If the government is not lying about the scam, it should immediately order physical verification of foodgrains stocked in Punjab. I am sure the government won’t do it as if any investigation is ordered in this regard, the SADBJP government will stand exposed before the Centre,” said Jakhar.
Citing Hindustan Times article “RBI finds stock value short by `27,000 crores” that was published on Thursday, the Congress leader said the recent communication of the RBI to the Punjab government also revealed “jumbo” figures of the missing stock. He said the call to “gherao” the chief minister’s residence given by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also failed to nail the government and exposed the lack of experience and knowledge of party leaders, who met Parkash Singh Badal to order a probe in the alleged missing foodgrains scam. HTC