Chandigarh, May 5 (PTI) Punjab Congress leader Tina Chaudhary on Tuesday sought an investigation into the alleged “panjiri scam”, accusing the AAP government of giving contracts for its supply to four private companies.
Chaudhary alleged that these four companies supplied substandard quality of ‘panjiri’, directly endangering the health of poor children and pregnant women.
Panjiri is a traditional Punjabi sweet, made by roasting wheat flour in ‘desi ghee’.
The Congress leader alleged that the procurement and supply of panjiri meant for lactating mothers and infants through Anganwadis involved irregularities.
The sweet and other food items are supplied under the Integrated Child Development Services programme to ensure adequate nutrition to infants, adolescent girls and pregnant mothers.
Chaudhary claimed that low-quality items were procured at inflated prices, causing a loss to the state exchequer.
Despite the chief minister holding the charge of the Punjab State Cooperative Supply and Marketing Federation (Markfed), the government deliberately awarded contracts for panjiri and other food supplies to private companies, she alleged.
The Punjab Congress spokesperson said that during the previous Congress government, panjiri was prepared using ‘desi ghee’ and supplied at approximately Rs 91-92 per kilogram, whereas the current government supplied “low-quality” panjiri allegedly made with refined oil.
Despite its lower production cost, it was procured at higher prices, “clearly indicating corruption and commission-based practices”, she claimed and demanded a fair and impartial investigation and punishment for those responsible.
Choudhary demanded that the supply of food items for Anganwadis should once again be routed through government institutions like Markfed.
Earlier, similar accusations were levelled by the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP. PTI CHS PRK
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