5 lakh bags of paddy seized in Punjab

Punjab, December 01: In a shocking incident, Government agencies in Punjab have seized over 5 lakh bags of paddy from other states that were brought into Punjab illegally to sell in the ongoing Kharif marketing season, a Minister said here on Saturday.

In this regard, Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhusan Ashu disclosed on Saturday that 5.03 lakh bags of paddy from other states have been seized in Punjab in the last two months (October 1 to November 30).

"In a late night operation in Barnala, the Punjab Food Supply department s vigilance team caught six trucks carrying paddy and rice brought illegally from other states to be illegally recycled into grain markets in Punjab. Three thousand bags of paddy and rice were seized," Ashu added.

Agrarian state Punjab has so far procured over 170 lakh tonnes of paddy this season.

"The department is maintaining constant vigil and all attempts of recycling rice from other states into Punjab mandis have been thwarted by our officers," claimed the Minister.