Ludhiana: Two food inspectors have been suspended here for alleged pilferage of wheat meant for the public distribution scheme.
Food inspectors — Maninder Pratap Singh and Surinderjeet Singh — have been placed under suspension and have been charge-sheeted with immediate effect, a spokesperson of the Punjab Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department said today.
An FIR has also been registered in this regard, he said.
The accused had been allegedly resorting to misappropriation or pilferage by taking out wheat from 30 kg bags and filling the same in 50 kg bags, the spokesperson said.
Water was also being sprayed on the wheat to increase weight, he said.
The Department has always shown zero tolerance towards pilferage or misappropriation of food grains at any stage, the spokesperson said
He said that earlier, in a similar case in Amritsar four Assistant Food and Supply Officers (AFSOs) and 14 Inspectors were suspended, and disciplinary action was initiated against 22 officials, including the then Deputy Director of Food and Civil Supplies.
Likewise, at various centres of Tarn Taran, the wheat stored in open plinths during 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 had got damaged and action has been taken, the spokesperson said.
—PTI