Stubble management scam: Notices issued to 900 Punjab employees
Chandigarh: The Punjab government has taken action in response to the multi-crore scam involving machinery procured for stubble management in the state. Show cause notices have been issued to approximately 900 officers and employees of the agriculture department.
In protest, agriculture officials and employees have begun expressing their opposition to these notices. The government has directed officials to respond within 15 days of notice issuance.
As per the details, machinery, subsidized by the central government, was provided by the Punjab government for crop residue management. Between 2018-19 and 2021-22, 90,422 machines were distributed to farmers, registered farm groups, cooperative societies, FPOs, and panchayats in the state.
Upon physical verification, the government discovered that 11,275 machines (13%) were missing. Over the four years, Rs 1178 crore was spent on this machinery.
The investigation revealed that approximately Rs 140 crore worth of machines never reached the farmers, suspecting embezzlement through the submission of fake bills.
Notices have been issued to assistant sub-inspectors, agriculture development officers, agriculture extension officers, and certain agriculture officers across different districts under Section 8 of the Punjab Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 1970.
Faridkot, Bathinda, Moga, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Amritsar, and Gurdaspur districts have the highest number of missing machines. The official inquiry concluded in November 2023, with many officers having retired. There are reports of funds intended for machinery being misappropriated with the collaboration of officials and local leaders.
The Congress government, having waited extensively for the investigation, allowed the scam to persist annually.
Special Chief Secretary (Agriculture) K AP Sinha noted that some officers have started responding to the notices, emphasizing that irregular machinery verifications contributed to the situation.