Ration depots in Punjab come under govt scanner

Patiala, October 2
Numerous ration depots in the state could be under scanner following a scam coming to light where depot holders further gave their depots, meant for supply of subsidised ration, on contract. Those who took the depots on contract allegedly sold the ration to influential mills, thereby making a huge profit.
The Patiala police has unearthed a major scam in Nabha with the arrest of two persons who were pilfering subsidised wheat and oil meant to be distributed through the public distribution system.
The police has also arrested a government depot owner and the manager of a flour mill in this regard under Sections 420, 406 and 120 B of the IPC.
The police arrested Subhash Chand, who had been allotted a licenced ration depot, but had further given it on contract to those who used to supply subsidised wheat to flour mills.
“By this, the villagers were left with limited supply while the owners of the depot and the flour mills made easy money,” the police said.
Information gathered by The Tribune revealed that there were nearly 14,000 government depots in Punjab which had been already operating while 1,337 more were recently added to these, taking the total number of depots to 15,337. The depots had fixed customers who were given fixed quota of oil, flour, pulses and other commodities at subsidised rates.
Sanjeev Goyal, SHO Sadar, Nabha, said a nexus came to light when the owner of one of the depots was found selling flour and oil to a nearby flour mill. Questioning of the depot owner revealed that the depots were usually sub-contracted by the person who had the contract of the ration depot. This way the ration card holders failed to get full supply, as their share was sold to the private millers, Goyal said.
AP Singh, district food and supplies controller, Patiala, said they would conduct more raids in the future to nab such depot holders and ensure that the poor get their allotted share of ration.