BJP seeks CBI probe into free rice scheme, petitions Bedi

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday presented a petition to Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi seeking a CBI into the alleged irregularities in the free rice scheme.

The petition, handed over to Bedi by the Puducherry unit of the party, comes in the wake of a deadlock in the implementation of the rice scheme following differences between her and the Chief Minister V Narayanasamy. on the modalities of operating the scheme.

President of the local unit of the BJP V Saminathan, an MLA, led the delegation which included two other legislators K G Shankar and S Selvaganapathy also.

Saminathan told newspersons after meeting the Lieutenant Governor that the beneficiaries of the rice scheme should be paid through bank accounts the cash equivalent to the quantity of rice as insisted by Bedi to avoid possible pilferage and corruption.

He said ever since the scheme was introduced, rice has been available to the families coming under either the BPL or APL categories initially for 17 months only while cash was remitted after subsequent modification of the scheme.

He said the petition had listed the alleged scam and malpractices adopted in the implementation of the scheme, particularly in the procurement of rice.

The Rs 160-crore free rice scheme envisaged purchase of rice from other states. Thus local traders and farmers were bypassed and the money was finding its way to other states, he said.

He alleged that there was no proper tender system in procuring the rice.

The BJP leader said the petition sought a CBI probe into the modalities adopted in purchase of rice.

Meanwhile, Bedi said in a whatsapp message that the delegation had requested her to tell them of the status of vigilance probe pending against irregularities in purchase of rice and its distribution.

She said the petition was being forwarded to the Chief Secretary for a report in a week.

The former IPS officer had earlier declined to concede to the plea of Narayanasamy at a meeting he hadwith her last week seeking approval of the decision of the government to distribute rice to the card holders.

She has been sticking to her stand that cash equivalent of the quantity of rice (20 kg for each of the families under BPL category and 10 kg under the APL category) alone should be credited to the accounts.

With difference of opinion continuing she referred the matter to the Union Home Ministry for opinion and the scheme consequently hit a deadlock.