New Delhi, The A on Tuesday claimed that an FIR filed by the CBI into the alleged irregularities in subsidised rice allocation in the capital mentions Delhi Food and Supplies Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, and demanded the agency investigate his role in the “scam”.
“The CBI has now registered an FIR in what we were alleging for so many days. Last month, Sirsa had denied the allegations of A and threatened legal action against Bharadwaj.
A Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that according to the CBI FIR, officials in Sirsa’s department acted after discussing with the minister. The FIR says that the NERAMAC clearly said that rice was supposed to be distributed among daily wage workers and the poor who don’t have ration cards. Sirsa is the minister for food and supplies, and we want the CBI to investigate his role,” Bharadwaj told a presser. The minister gave the A leaders 24 hours to withdraw their allegations and issue a public apology, “or face legal proceedings”.
Naming senior officials of the FCI and NERAMAC, the CBI has alleged a series of irregularities, including allocation in violation of policy, pressure on officials, diversion of rice to traders and preparation of false records to show distribution to the public, resulting in losses of over ₹ 28 crore to the FCI.
Bharadwaj also said that he, along with other party workers, will meet Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu to discuss the matter and other “scams”. The CBI has alleged that an additional general manager of the NERAMAC, Guwahati, vide a letter dated January 7, requested the “Minister , Government of NCT Delhi” for allocation of 31,000 MT of rice per week under the category “sale of rice without participation in e-auction” under the Open Market Sale Scheme for 2025-26.
