Alleged 31,000‑Ton Rice Hoarding Costs Delhi Treasury ₹13.67 Cr Weekly, AAP Urges Full CBI Inquiry

NEW DELHI, Oct 15 — Investigators have uncovered a scheme that allegedly involved the hoarding of 31,000 metric tonnes of rice by the Delhi Food and Civil Supplies Department. The grain was purchased at a concessional rate of ₹23.20 per kilogram, nearly half of the market price of ₹46, creating a substantial subsidy burden on the state.

The Aam Aadmi Party has pressed the Central Bureau of Investigation to expand its probe to include Cabinet Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsaa, accusing him of authorising the irregular purchase through administrative orders rather than transparent e‑tender procedures. The rice was allegedly diverted to private channel partners – Messer Utpalakshi Agro Products, Messer Dibesh Commercials and Messer Super Grains – and supplied to commercial establishments in Haryana.

The financial impact is estimated at a loss of ₹13.67 crore per week, translating into hundreds of crores over a 22‑week period. While CBI actions have led to the arrest of several mid‑level officers, the party contends that the minister who initiated the orders has escaped scrutiny.

In a formal letter, AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj demanded that the minister be named in FIR RC 2182026A0014, that all departmental records, routing logs, emails and digital evidence be seized immediately, and that comprehensive statements be recorded from every implicated individual to trace the black‑money trail. The CBI’s preliminary report already acknowledges large‑scale fund diversion.