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12,000 bags of wheat smuggled from Bihar seized in Bathinda
Bathinda: The Bathinda district authorities confiscated more than 25,000 bags of wheat, weighing 50kg each, being transported illegally from other states on Friday, the eve of procurement in Punjab
Bathinda: The Bathinda district authorities confiscated more than 25,000 bags of wheat, weighing 50kg each, being transported illegally from other states on Friday, the eve of procurement in Punjab.
BJP leaders Sukhpal Sra and Sandeep Aggarwal noticed the unauthorised movement of wheat at the local mandi (grain market) and reported the matter to the police late on Thursday night.
“We alerted the police but did not get much assistance. There were 35 trucks in the mandi with most bearing Punjab registration numbers. Only three trucks were impounded and the rest got time to flee. This is the tip of the iceberg as illegal movement of wheat stock is impossible without the state’s political leadership’s patronage,” Sra said.
Official sources said it was an attempt to smuggle wheat bought for about ₹1,100 from Bihar and other places to be sold at a higher minimum support price (MSP) of ₹1,975.
State mandi officials said the involvement of a commission agent (arthiya) in Bathinda has come to the fore.
9,000 bags of wheat found stacked on roadside
Punjab Mandi Board deputy general manager, Ferozepur division, Kuldeep Singh Brar said the three trucks-laden with wheat were impounded from the grain market, but a stock of wheat packed in more than 9,000 gunny bags was found on the roadside.
He admitted that the drivers did not have a purchase document.
“Inquiries have shown that the consignment belongs to a commission agent’s firm, named Babu Ram Ashok Kumar. A police complaint has been filed and the licence of the firm will be cancelled,” he said.
District mandi officer Preet Kanwar Singh Brar said another stock of more than 8,000 bags was recovered from two makeshift godowns.
“Transportation and stocking wheat was illegal as the mandi office had no record in this regard,” said Brar.
Kotwali station house officer Daljit Brar said a case has been registered under Sections 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
Bathinda Arhtiya Association president Satish Kumar Babbu demanded strict action against the commission agent. “The association condemns any such illegal activity,” he said.
Official sources said after Haryana brought transparency in crop procurement to much higher level under ‘Meri Fasal Mera Byora’ portal, traders have started eyeing Punjab for illegal sale of foodgrains.
“Probably it is for the first time that Punjab is witnessing wheat arrival from other states while illegal mixing of paddy from outside the state is quite a common practice. After Haryana, Punjab is the only market, where the government agencies pay MSP for wheat and paddy and traders, see a scope to buy the produce at lower prices from other states and sell it to the government agencies in collusion with officials,” a state functionary said.
BJP leaders want probe, say godowns full already
BJP leaders demanded a probe into the incident, alleging godowns in the local industrial area and other places are already flooded with wheat stocks bought from other states.
Activists of farmer unions gathered at the mandi to register their protest against the illegal transportation of wheat from other states. They demanded an assurance from the state government that no food grain will be allowed from other states.
Senior superintendent of police BS Virk said the district administration and food and civil supplies, officials were immediately alerted to ascertain the legality of the wheat stock.
40 wheat trucks from UP impounded in Rupnagar
Rupnagar: Forty trucks laden with wheat from Uttar Pradesh were confiscated in Rupnagar on Friday. The wheat was ordered by a Rupnagar-based private flour mill, Megastar Foods Limited.
District mandi officer Bhajan Kaur said the trucks were sent back to UP. “There is no provision to take action against private firm under any Act,” she said.
Following the incident, local farmers blocked the Rupnagar-Chandigarh national highway for around two hours. “A meeting was convened between officials of Megastar Foods Limited and the protesting farmers in which the owner said he was willing to donate ₹2.5 lakh for farmers protest,” she said, adding that the flour mill also submitted in writing that they will purchase wheat from Punjab mandis only.
FIRs registered against 3 firms: Ashu
Chandigarh: Food and Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu said FIRs have been registered against three firms trying to sell wheat in state mandis brought from outside the state.
He said a department team had found around 8,000 gunny bags in yard of M/s Babu Ram Ashok Kumar and Lakshmi Oil Mill in Grain Market Bhatinda. Upon further inquiry, it was found that the wheat had been procured from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan at lower prices and was to be sold at MSP here. Besides this, total of 17,000 bags have also been seized from godowns of these two firms.
The minister said 8,000 to 9,000 wheat bags have also been recovered from Kishan Trading Company of Bugga Mandi in Ferozepur. He said that cases have been filed against these three firms.
