Chandigarh : While in office, Punjab’s former Agriculture Minister Randeep Singh Nabha in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 8 blew the lid off a Rs 1, 178-crore scam involving the crop residual machinery under his own government. He had also demanded a probe by the CBI.
Nabha has claimed the Central subsidy of Rs 1, 178-crore was given over four years for buying machinery under the crop residue management (CRM) scheme to curb stubble burning. But the machinery mentioned on paper was not found on the ground, he said.
In a demi-official letter written to the PM, Nabha had alleged embezzlement of funds and claimed that as a minister he was not provided any details of the machinery.
“When I took charge of the department and held a review, I learnt that the Government of India had sent Rs 1, 178.47 crore under the CRM scheme from 2018-19 till 2021-22, ” he said.
He said on November 8, 2021, he sought information about the scheme and the division of funds for each district, but no data was provided to him. “No information was given even after I discussed the matter with the Financial Commissioner (Agriculture).”