January 31, 2016 by admin

Ludhiana MLA alleges gunny bag scam

Ludhiana, January 31
Independent MLA Simarjit Singh Bains-led “Team Insaaf” has accused the state government of being involved in a scam worth over Rs 7,400 crore in purchase of jute bags (bardana) for packing foodgrains.
Bains alleged that the Badal government had been purchasing low quality jute bags of lesser weight at more than double the market price, which has led to the loss of Rs 7,426 crore to the state exchequer in the past nine years.
The state government purchased 28.73 crore jute bags (5,74,600 bales and each bale contains 500 jute bags) at a price of Rs 49.72 each in 2015-16. However, the market price for each gunny bag was Rs 21, leading to price difference of Rs 28.72. The total loss for that year amounted to Rs 825.12 crore, he alleged.
He alleged that the weight of the jute bags bought by the government was also lesser, due to which farmers were forced to fill 100 gm extra grains, for packing 50 kg foodgrains in each jute bag.
He said according to the Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals, the weight of jute bag should be 665 gm, but the weight of jute bags purchased by the government was 565 gm. Bains demanded CBI investigation into the case.
“It is because of such scams and policies of the Badal government that has brought the state in such poor fiscal condition and led farmers to commit suicides,” he alleged.