Punjab BJP leaders take up cudgels against their own govt

In an embarrassment to their own government, a group of BJP leaders in Punjab today alleged corruption in the much touted "Atta-daal" scheme of SAD-BJP government meant for the poor and Dalits.
Former Punjab minister Swarna Ram, accompanied by other leaders, alleged that the wheat which was being supplied to depots of Phagwara block was of poor quality.
He said that the wheat, meant to be supplied at the rate of Rs 1 per kg, was being siphoned off to the cartels in black-market and demanded a probe into the "scam" by vigilance department.
"While the subsidised wheat was black-marketed, the poor people were supplied sub-standard wheat. Instead of being given wheat, they were virtually being served poison," he alleged.

He said that the 30 kg wheat bag contained only 26.5 kg of grains and its weight was increased by wetting wheat with water.
He rued that a good scheme of Parkash Singh Badal government had fallen into corrupt hands here, bringing bad name to the government.
He also threatened that he and his supporters would stage a dharna in case the quality of wheat was not improved.