Vigilance registered a case against DFSC, two inspectors and three aartis on the charge of manipulation in wheat stock.

10,716 bags were found less in three warehouses, the existing bags were found to be underweight.

Due to the connivance of Pangrain employees with the aartis, a huge financial loss has been caused to the government exchequer

Chandigarh, September 27:

As part of its campaign against corruption in the state, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau has arrested the then District Food and Civil Supply Controller (DF) for manipulating the stock of wheat during the procurement season of 2018-19 at four warehouses in Ferozepur district. .SC), has registered a case against two Inspectors and three Commission Agents (Aartis) of Pangren.

Giving information in this regard, the spokesperson of Vigilance Bureau said that among the persons against whom a case was registered in this matter, DFSC. Ferozepur Balraj Singh (now retired), Inspector Pangrain Suresh Kumar in-charge Purchase Center Ferozeshah, Inspector Balraj Singh Godam in-charge Village Lalle, Haraj and Talwandi Bhai, Hardev Singh Owner of Happy Commission Agents, Pawan Kumar Owner of Dhaliwal Trading Company and Gill Trading Company. Owner Iqbal Singh is involved. In this regard, Section 13 (1) (A) and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC at Ferozepur Range of the Vigilance Bureau. FIR under section 409, 420, 467, 468, 471, 120-B. A case has been registered under number 25 dated 26-09-2023.

Giving more information, he said that during the procurement season of the year 2018-19, the procurement agency ‘Pangrain’ purchased wheat from the procurement centers of Talwandi Bhai, Wada Bhai Ka and Ghall Khurd district Ferozepur and at Pangrain’s warehouses located in villages Lalle, Haraj and Talwandi Bhai. was stored, where it was looked after by Inspector Balraj Singh.

During unannounced joint inspections on 30-05-2018 and 31-05-2018, it was found that 10,716 bags of 50 kg weight were missing from the registered stock while 60 bags of 30 kg weight were found there. Apart from this, most of the wheat sacks in the warehouse were found to weigh less than the specified amount.

Similarly, during a joint investigation, it was found in a warehouse in village Ferozeshah that the owners of Happy Commission Agent, Dhaliwal Trading Company and Gill Trading Company colluded with Balraj Singh, Supervising Inspector of warehouse of Pangrain at Shivam Enterprise Firm in village Lalle to steal 13,134 bags of wheat. Prepared a false report about the purchase of

The payments related to this fictitious purchase were transferred to the bank accounts of the above mentioned persons. After this, as soon as this scam came to light, Dhaliwal Trading Company deposited 2,200 sacks of wheat between 25th and 27th May, 2018 in the warehouse built at the said Shivam Enterprises without any gate pass.

The spokesperson also said that four days before this, on 21-05-2018, when the Assistant Food and Supply Officer inspected the grain market of Ferozshah village, there was no bag of wheat in that market at that time.

The investigation revealed that Inspector Suresh Kumar, in-charge of the purchase center at Ferozshah, along with Happy Commission Agents, Dhaliwal Trading Company and Gill Trading Company, purchased 13,134 bags of wheat, the value of which was Rs.1,13,93,745. had conspired to prepare a false report about This wrongful act resulted in huge financial loss to the exchequer as the payment was made directly to the said aartis.

Along with this, the then DFSC Even though Balraj Singh had full knowledge about the scam, he did not initiate criminal proceedings against the in-charge inspector Balraj Singh and the said aartis, but colluded with the said guilty inspector and aartis and recovered the total sacks of wheat and their due amount. Consequently, the said government employees did not collect the mandatory 3 percent market fee and 3 percent rural development fund related to this purchase, which was supposed to be deposited in the state exchequer, causing direct financial loss to the state government.

He said that keeping these revelations in mind, a case has been registered in this regard and further investigation of the matter is going on.