Inquiry reveals corruption in Punjab's 2018 Ramazan Package

11 food dept officials in custody over wheat subsidy scam

LAHORE:

At least 11 officials of food department have been arrested after an inquiry into alleged corruption in the Ramazan Package in 2018.

The officials arrested from Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Sahiwal, Chakwal and other districts include three assistant food controllers, four food inspectors, three senior clerks and a watchman. Anti-corruption authorities have also registered a case against 74 flour mills in Multan, Vehari, Lodhran and Khanewal.

Sources aid special teams are raiding various places to arrest 144 food department officials.

The inquiry into the scandal had revealed that instead of benefiting the people from the subsidy given on wheat during the holy month in 2018, owners of flour mills along with employees of the food department committed corruption. The anti-corruption director general ordered an immediate inquiry by all the regional officers. As a result of the inquiry, it was revealed that there had been widespread corruption in wheat subsidy and employees of food department were also involved in it. After recovery from the owners of flour mills, anti-corruption officials have now started arresting the employees of the department.

In this regard, the anti-corruption authorities took action in Chakwal and arrested Assistant Food Controller Muhammad Ikhlaq and Food Inspector Mudassar Nazar. They also arrested Assistant Food Controller Masood Ahmed and Food Inspector Malik Saeed in Attock, Assistant Food Controller Arif Hussain, Food Inspector Muhammad Amin and Senior Clerk Muhammad Imran in Jhelum and senior clerks Mohammad Hanif and Mohammad Pervez and watchman Mohammad Ajmal in Multan. Meanwhile, Food Grain Inspector Muhammad Azam Wattoo was arrested from Sahiwal.

Raids are being carried out to arrest other employees suspected of being involved in then scam. The sources said that action is being taken against a total of 155 employees of the food department in the wheat corruption scandal of Ramazan Package 2018.

The anti-corruption department has also registered a case against 74 flour mills of Multan region in connection with the scandal. According to the FIR, the flour mills caused a loss of Rs13.8 million to the national exchequer. These flour mills include 39 in Multan district, 13 in Khanewal, 10 in Vehari and 12 in Lodhran.

Director General Anti-Corruption Establishment Punjab Gohar Nafees said while talking to The Express Tribune that the wealth looted by corrupt elements would be recovered. He said the accused in the wheat scandal will be punished. He said that a record Rs206 million has been recovered from flour mills. Rapid action is being taken to recover the remaining Rs54 million, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 26^th, 2020.