Punjab Governor questions CM Bhagwant Mann over atta home delivery scheme

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, August 1

Three days after the Council of Ministers gave the go-ahead to the “Home Delivery of Atta” scheme, Governor Banwarilal Purohit today questioned its rollout .

Was put on hold last year

The scheme was originally envisaged last year. But the rollout of the scheme was put on hold by the High Court after Fair Price Shop owners had objected to the scheme, paving way for new distribution and delivery agencies. It has again been re-worked, after taking into consideration the legal objections, and approved by the Cabinet on Saturday.

In a letter to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the Governor has said even though his office had forwarded some objections to the scheme being rolled out last year, the government has so far not responded to the letter.

On September 24, then Principal Secretary to the Governor JM Balamurugan had sent a list of anomalies in the scheme to then Chief Secretary VK Janjua.

These anomalies were initially pointed out in a representation made by Leader of the Opposition Partap Bajwa to the Governor. These were: It would result in loss of livelihood of several thousands of families of depot holders and small flour mills (atta chakki); open the possibility of big flour mills to mix substandard wheat while grinding and it would go unchecked as the poor quality cannot be detected in atta; and it opened possibilities of huge underhand gains for flour mills through the by-products to be generated through grinding of atta (maida, suji, wheat bran).

The Governor had then desired that these objections be examined by the government and a detailed status report be submitted at the earliest. The Governor has also reminded the Chief Minister that even after a lapse of six months since he sought information under Section 167 of the Constitution, he has not heard anything.

He has even made a reference to the judgement of the Supreme Court in a petition filed by the AAP government against the Governor earlier this year. Quoting Article 167 (draft Article 147), the letter refers to the judgement, which says that the “…role of the Governor is to advise the Ministry, to warn the Ministry, to suggest the Ministry an alternative and to ask for a reconsideration… He is the representative not of a party, he is representative of the people as a whole of the state. It is in the name of the people that he carries on the administration. He must see that the administration is carried on a level which may be regarded as good, efficient, honest administration”.