Madhya Pradesh government today cracked a whip on two officials and ordered a probe into allegations that wheat mixed with soil was being disbursed to victims of recent flood in the state capital, after Congress created a ruckus and staged a walkout in Legislative Assembly.
"While Madhya Pradesh Food and Civil Supplies Corporation (MPFCSC) Supply Officer Dinesh Chourasia has been suspended, another official Rajendra Yadav has been removed as District Manager and a show cause notice has been slapped on him," MPRCSC vice-chairman Dr Hitesh Bajpai told PTI.
He said two top officials of MPRCSC have been directed to conduct a probe into the supply of adulterated wheat to victims of Bhopal flood and submit their report within three days.
Bajpai said efforts are on on war-footing to replace the adulterated wheat by night.
"Wheat samples from all distribution centres are being taken to ensure that no one gets adulterated wheat henceforth," he said.
Earlier in the day, Congress MLA Jaivardhan Singh raised the issue of sacks of wheat allegedly mixed with soil being distributed to the victims of the flood on the floor of House and demanded a stern action against the guilty.
Other Congress members carrying wheat with balls of mud in Legislative Assembly joined Jaivardhan, creating bedlam saying that such help is being given to flood-ravaged victims and demanded that the guilty should be punished.
He said that some bags of 50 kg containing 20 kg soil were being distributed in state capital as help to victims, and the situation might be worse than this in the rural and far-flung areas hit by the floods.
Senior BJP member Babulal Gaur too expressed concern over the issue, saying that rotten wheat is being disbursed to the flood victims in Bhopal.
Legislative Affairs Minister Narottam Mishra said that an inquiry has already been ordered into the issue and guilty won't be spared.
He said the wheat had come from the farmers, to which the opposition reacted sharply saying that the government was putting blame on the farmers instead of middlemen.
Dissatisfied with the answer, Congress members demanded stern action against the guilty and pressed for tabling an adjournment motion on the issue.
There was a heated argument between the treasury and opposition benches before the Congress members walked out of the House.
Outside the House, Congress member Tarun Bhanot termed the distribution of adulterated wheat as a "slap on the face of poor".
"We are going to raise the issue in the House till stern action is taken against the guilty," he told reporters.
