CVC: Probe roots of wheat bungling, senior officials’ role

Chandigarh: Punjab chief vigilance commissioner (CVC) Justice Mehtab Singh Gill (retd) has directed the state vigilance bureau to not restrict the probe into embezzlement of

wheat

worth Rs

20 crore

from Jandiala Guru Centre in Amritsar to inspector Jasdev Singh, who is at large. He said the investigation should go deeper to ascertain the involvement of

senior

officers of the food and supply department.

These directions were issued by Justice Gill to the chief director-cum-DGP, Vigilance Bureau B K Uppal, after the food and supply department marked the case for probe by the bureau. The embezzled wheat was meant for distribution under the National Food Security Act to the needy.

The Central Vigilance Committee of the state food and supplies department from Chandigarh is undertaking a special physical verification of Pungrain wheat stocks at Jandiala Guru after it came to light that inspector Jasdev is absconding. As per the preliminary report, 1.84 lakh bags (50 kg jute and 30 kg polypropylene) pertaining to wheat crop of 2018-19, 2020-21 and 2021-22 were found to be short. Their cost is approximately Rs 20 crore.

District food and supply officer Amarinder Singh and assistant food and supply officer Arshdeep Singh at Jandiala Guru have already been placed under suspension and departmental proceedings against them have started.

Departmental proceedings have also been initiated against Amritsar district food and supply controller Raj Rishi Mehra and his predecessor Jasjit Kaur for supervisory lapses.