'L-G sitting on CM's suspension order for Food Commissioner'

NEW DELHI: Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal is "sitting" over Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's order suspending the food and supplies commissioner for alleged irregularities in the ration distribution system, the Aam Aadmi Party alleged Thursday.

Kejriwal signed the suspension order on Wednesday after Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain said he has found irregularities in the ration distribution system during a raid at a fair price shop in Nangloi area on Tuesday night.

"This is a huge scam. Even after my incessant orders to the Food Commissioner to inspect these shops, no action was taken. It is not the minister's responsibility to inspect...the commissioner should do it,"Imran Hussain said.

The MLA from Ballimaran constituency said to stop such incidents, his department has been asking the Lieutenant-Governor and other officials to start doorstep delivery of ration "but no official accepts the proposal". AAP leader Dilip Pandey alleged that the delay in suspending the food commissioner shows the relation between the LG, the ration mafia and the BJP is not going to end soon.

"The L-G is sitting over CM's order for suspension of food commissioner which indicates collusion with ration mafia," Pandey told reporters.

Hussain told reporters on Tuesday night that wheat and rice stocks at the fair price shop were found missing despite receipts of delivery.

About "152 quintals of wheat and 38 quintals of rice" should have been there at the shop, he had said. The minister had said he suspected a "big scam (bada ghotala hai)" and immediately sent a report to the chief minister.

"The CM has ordered for the suspension of the food commissioner with immediate effect. The order has been sent to the LG also," he had told reporters.