Chandigarh, April 22
Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, wife of Navjot Singh Sidhu and leader of new political and the Bharatiya Rashtrawadi Party (BRP) on Wednesday, called for a high-level investigation into an alleged multi-crore fodder seed scam linked to Verka Milk Plants, citing findings by a social organisation and raising concerns over irregularities impacting farmers. Addressing a press conference at the Chandigarh Press Club, she urged the government to respond to allegations of subsidy misuse and ensure accountability. She stressed the need for a transparent probe, claiming that farmers were deprived of benefits meant for them.
Her remarks follow a complaint submitted by the Janhit Adhikar Welfare Association (JAWA) to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, alleging large-scale irregularities in the procurement and distribution of fodder seeds.
According to the NGO, tenders floated in 2025 involved firms from Punjab and other states. It alleged that bills were processed without actual delivery of seeds and that a “paper-only” supply chain was used to siphon off government subsidies.
The complaint alleged that seeds were shown as having been transported between Hoshiarpur and Dasuya on paper. At the same time, local officials were allegedly pressured to generate fake billing entries for village cooperative societies. No physical delivery of seeds to farmers was reported.
JAWA further alleged that transactions were manipulated to reflect distribution, enabling the release of subsidies. It claimed that farmers’ accounts were used to create a financial trail, with deductions shown for seeds that were never supplied.
The NGO also pointed to irregularities involving a Mansa-based firm, alleging that bills were cleared without the receipt of goods and that the transport company listed in the records had been defunct for years.
The issue reportedly came to light after a local store official flagged discrepancies. While one procurement manager has been charge-sheeted and an area in charge has been suspended, the organisation alleged that the key accused remains unaccounted for.
JAWA president Manjit Singh claimed the scam could be wider, noting that a state-wide audit across thousands of milk societies may reveal a much larger financial irregularity.
Copies of the complaint have been sent to the Enforcement Directorate and Milkfed authorities for further action.
Sidhu reiterated that the matter requires immediate investigation. “The government must clarify how such irregularities occurred and fix responsibility,” she said, adding that safeguarding farmers’ interests remains essential.
