HC orders vigilance probe into Haryana corp’s wheat subsidy scam.

By Ajay Sura

The Punjab and Haryana high court has ordered Haryana’s state vigilance bureau, now known as anti-corruption bureau, to investigate a wheat seed subsidy scam involving officials of Haryana Seeds Development Corporation (HSDC).

Handing over the probe to the ACB, the HC observed that Haryana officials and authorities are completely silent over verification of total claims of subsidy and as to whether any checking of the same was undertaken. “As per the departmental inquiry, the concerned official had definitely carried out forgery of the government record. There is no explanation put forth by the state as to why criminal action against such forgery by the officials of HSDC has not been taken,” the HC held while asking the probe agency to file a compliance report within six months.

Justice Vinod S Bhardwaj passed these orders while hearing a petition filed by Jasbir Ram, who had sought directions for inquiry into the scam as established from a preliminary inquiry dated September 17, 2021.

The petitioner, who is a farmer owning around three acres of land, had purchased two bags of wheat seed weighing 40kg each from the shop run by HSDC at Cheeka in Kaithal district. After purchase of two bags of seeds, the employee at the HSDC shop issued cash memo No. 607/86 to the petitioner. The said employee was required to maintain record of sale of wheat seed by entering the mobile number/Aadhar card number of the purchaser in the books.

The petitioner later came to know that some HSDC employees are committing subsidy scam pertaining to selling wheat seeds in fictitious names of farmers and thereby causing huge loss to the state exchequer. The records were forged by entering an additional number of wheat bags against names and Aadhar cards of respective farmers.

On coming to know about the scam and forgery, a complaint dated February 9, 2021, was filed by the petitioner giving his complete details. During the inquiry, it was confirmed that he had purchased only two bags of wheat seed, whereas in the cash memo/bill number 607/86 it was mentioned that 20 wheat seed bags were purchased and besides, at entry No. 1446 of subsidy register, it had been recorded that 22 bags were sold against the name and Aadhar card of the petitioner.

Hence, the subsidy of as many as 20 bags of wheat seeds was squandered away by the HSDC employees. The petitioner contended that even after recording of his statement by the department, no action had been taken or initiated against the guilty officials.

HSDC chief manager stated that on receiving the complaint, a fact-finding inquiry was conducted, and it was established that the subsidy had been misappropriated and it should be recovered from the defaulting officials.

On the basis of said report, a notice was issued to the marketing assistant and an advisory was also issued to the regional manager to keep a check on the sale records of sale counters under their jurisdiction and to avoid such situations/complaints in future.

A separate reply had also been furnished in an affidavit filed by Karam Chand, deputy director, department of agriculture and farmers welfare department, Haryana, reiterating and admitting that subsidy payment of 20 bags had been withheld and deducted.

Issue of 20 bags is just tip of iceberg

The petitioner’s counsel, however, contended that the instance of subsidy scam of 20 bags of wheat seed was only a tip of an iceberg and it required a probe and that involvement of a large number of persons in running such an organised crime/scam cannot be ruled out, The counsel stated a comprehensive inquiry into the entire affairs of subsidy scam was required to be conducted so as to ascertain the total volume of misappropriation, if any. Rather, the HSDC and state officials mischievously confined the scope of inquiry only to the solitary instance that had been brought to their notice and have conveniently brushed aside the role of every other person who may be involved in the case.

This article has been republished from The Times of India.