Amidst the strike by the employees of Punjab’s Food and Civil Supplies Department against the Vigilance Bureau’s action against some of its officials, the state’s Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak on Wednesday exhorted the striking employees to call off strike in the larger public interest.

At the same time, the Minister assured the striking employees that no proceedings would be initiated against anyone before taking proper feedback or comments of the heads of the agencies on the issue under question. “Those working with dedication need not worry and they will not be hounded or harassed by State probe agencies,” assured the Minister to the representatives of the Confederation of the officers and Joint Coordination Committee of the Punjab State Foodgrain Agencies in a meeting on Wednesday.

The assurance came a day after the Food Corporation of India (FCI) asked the State Government to resolve the matter as the strike has also impacted the lifting of the freshly procured paddy crop.

The Minister also praised the Department’s “hard-working and sincere employees”, who have undertaken two successful and smooth procurements of wheat and paddy in this year after the present State Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann took over.

Notably, following the arrest of two District Food and Supplies Controllers (DFSCs) on November 23 in connection with Rs 2,000-crore food grain transportation scam, the Department’s staff — right from the level of clerks to inspectors, assistant food and supplies officers, DFSCs and field deputy directors across the state — had started an indefinite strike.

The two DFSCs — Sukhwinder Singh Gill and Harveen Kaur — who in the past were posted at Ludhiana, the home district of former Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu during the Congress party regime, are accused of irregularities in the tenders for movement of food grains. The Vigilance Bureau has already presented a charge sheet against Ashu, who remains in judicial custody.

The strike call was given by Punjab Procuring Agencies Joint Co-ordination Committee, which has the state’s procurement agencies — Markfed, Pungrain, Punsup and State Ware Housing Corporation — as members.

The joint committee has asked the FCI to stop the placement of indents for the loading of food grain specials (goods trains) from the State. The coordination committee has demanded the withdrawal of the cases against the food department officers and that the officer concerned be informed before initiating action based on anonymous complaints.

Minister Kataruchak, and the Principal Secretary (Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs) Rahul Bhandari held separate meetings with the agitating officials and employees. It was assured that the VB would be requested to not initiate any proceedings before taking proper feedback or comments of the heads of the agencies on the issue under question.

It was also assured that VB would be requested to re-enquire into the FIR dated August 22, 2022, registered by VB against 13 Food inspectors at Samana.

The representatives of either the associations or unions demanded that the representatives of Finance, Transport, or relevant Departments may be included in the future tender processes.

The Minister urged the officers and field staff to resume their duties in the larger public interest.