PHAGWARA: A case of large-scale misappropriation of food grains has surfaced at the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation’s facility in Phagwara, where nearly 2, 000 bags of wheat were found missing during a recent physical inspection.
According to an official complaint lodged by Tejinder Kaur of the Corporation, Satpal Singh, a Technical Assistant serving as Centre Incharge at the Phagwara warehouse, has been accused of manipulating government stock and causing significant losses to the state exchequer.
The inspection, conducted on August 31, at the Hadiaabad warehouse in Phagwara, revealed glaring discrepancies between the recorded and physical stock of wheat for two consecutive procurement years. While records showed a balance of 20, 570 bags for the Rabi 2024–25 crop, 1, 595 bags were unaccounted for. Similarly, against a recorded balance of 95, 004 bags for the Rabi 2025–26 crop, 395 bags were missing. The total shortfall thus stood at 1, 990 bags, pointing to deliberate manipulation rather than clerical error.
Officials have alleged that Singh tampered with stock records and diverted government wheat through fraudulent means. The Corporation has since registered a formal case against him, treating the act as criminal breach of trust, misappropriation, and embezzlement of public resources. The case registered under section 409IPC underscores concerns about the integrity of food grain storage and distribution mechanisms in Punjab, which play a critical role in ensuring food security.