Chandigarh, April 26
Bharatiya Janata Party’s Punjab state president Sunil Jakhar has expressed suspicion of a scam in the purchase of old gunny bags by the Punjab government and has written to Union Food Supply Minister Prahlad Joshi, seeking an investigation.
The BJP state president said that old gunny bags available in the market for around ₹22 each have allegedly been purchased by the Aam Aadmi Party government— which claims to be “fiercely honest”—at ₹43.89 per bag. He said that allegations of a scam have surfaced in this matter, and therefore it should be investigated.
In his letter, Jakhar wrote that under the Decentralized Procurement Scheme (DCP), the Punjab government is using old gunny bags for filling wheat. However, the expenditure on purchasing these old gunny bags raises serious concerns of corruption.
Jakhar further stated that old gunny bags are actually available in the market at about ₹22 per bag, whereas the Punjab government is reportedly procuring them at approximately ₹43.89 per bag. This indicates the possibility of large-scale commission-taking and corruption in the entire process. He added that a thorough investigation should be conducted to get to the root of the matter.
It is noteworthy that in his letter, the BJP president also thanked the central government for granting relaxation in wheat procurement norms in line with the demands of farmers in Punjab.
