Sukhbir Singh Badal urges PM to probe embezzlement, favoritism in distribution of ration by Cong in Punjab

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order a probe into "Punjab government handing over the ration under PMGKAY to Congressmen for distribution".

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order a probe into "Punjab government handing over the ration under PMGKAY to Congressmen for distribution". According to a press release, the SAD president, in a letter to the Prime Minister, simultaneously also requested that ration being sent under the extended Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) scheme be monitored stringently through central observers to ensure ration received under the scheme is not pilfered and sold in the open market or distributed among Congress supporters again.

He also urged the Prime Minister to ensure necessary measures were taken to ensure the poor were not discriminated against during distribution of central food grain relief. Stating that it was of utmost importance that the central relief be distributed impartially on merit without any politicization whatsoever, Sukhbir Badal said even though the centre had sent 70,725 metric tonnes of grain besides 10,000 metric tonnes of pulses to Punjab, the same was not distributed among the people.

"While only one per cent of the entire food grain stock was distributed during the month of April when curfew was imposed in Punjab and people needed the ration the most, later the Punjab government abrogated its responsibility towards the people and handed over the ration to Congressmen for distribution. Subsequently, a major part of the central ration was embezzled by Congressmen even as they distributed part it to their supporters only," the SAD president said as per the press release. Keeping in view these facts, Badal urged the Prime Minister to constitute a special team which could probe the entire scam. He said the team could make an on the spot investigation in Punjab besides asking the State to submit an audit of the entire food stock. "As per our reports, thousands of tonnes of food stock were never distributed to the poor. The stock of wheat and pulses was shifted to residences of Congressmen and later sold in the open market".

The SAD president also informed the Prime Minister that the Punjab government did not distribute the central ration to migrant labourers leading to the flight of workers from the State which affected both industry as well as its agricultural operations. (ANI)

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