Hooda reiterates demand for CBI probe into 'paddy scam'

Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Wednesday reiterated his demand for a CBI probe into an alleged paddy scam, claiming there was a mismatch in actual production and procurement registered by the government agencies.

"For past so many months, we have been demanding that the government should have this paddy scam probed either by the CBI or a sitting high court judge, but they are not doing so," the Congress leader told reporters outside the Vidhan Sabha, on the sidelines of the ongoing budget session.

He said his party had repeatedly pointed out that a thorough probe was necessary as there was a mismatch in the actual production of paddy and the procurement registered by the government agencies.

"The total paddy production in the state was 67.74 lakh metric tonnes, out of which only 40 lakh metric tonnes of non-Basmati could be procured, but the state showed 64.34 lakh metric tonnes procurement. The government has no answer where this extra paddy had come from. This mismatch indicates towards a big scandal," Hooda alleged.

He said no FIR has been filed in the alleged scam even after it came to light many months ago.

The leader of opposition in the state Assembly claimed there was a mining scam as well in Haryana. "There is mining scam too, but it is surprising that the government is not paying any heed to such a serious matter," he said.

Attacking the BJP-JJP coalition government, Hooda said corruption was rampant in all spheres under this dispensation.

Referring to the address of the governor to the members on the inaugural day of the budget session on February 20, Hooda said, "It should have given details of the government's achievements, but it lacked vision and direction."