AAP says govt sold rice for poor to private firm at twice the price; Minister refutes charge

Food and Supplies Minister demands apology, warns of legal action

3 min readNew DelhiAug 10, 2026 12:46 PM IST

According to Bharadwaj's allegations, the Assam-based corporation wrote to Sirsa on January 7, offering procurement and distribution of cheap rice among Delhi’s poor. (File Photo)

The AAP on Sunday alleged that the BJP-led government in Delhi had orchestrated a “rice scam” involving subsidised foodgrain meant for the poor. Food and Supplies Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, however, dismissed the allegations as “false” and “malicious”.

Addressing a press conference, AAP Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that on the recommendation of Sirsa’s department, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) agreed to supply 31,000 metric tonnes of rice every week to an Assam-based corporation at a heavily subsidised rate. Instead of the grain being distributed among the poor, he further alleged, it was sold to a private company in Haryana at twice the price.

Bharadwaj claimed that the rice, procured for Rs 23 per kg, was allegedly being sold to a private vendor in the open market at Rs 46 per kg. “This means that approximately Rs 23 in commission was being earned on every kilogram of rice. In other words, 31,000 metric tonnes of rice was being sold for Rs 143 crore every week, while Rs 70-71 crore was being earned as commission. According to the plan, if this continued for three years, rice worth a total of Rs 22,000 crore would be sold to the private company, and Rs 11,000 crore would be earned as commission,” he alleged.

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According to Bharadwaj’s allegations, the Assam-based corporation wrote to Sirsa on January 7, offering procurement and distribution of cheap rice among Delhi’s poor. He claimed the Minister kept the letter pending for four months before marking it on April 8 to the Special Commissioner, rather than the Secretary or Food Commissioner, with a note that it be considered positively as per rules. The same day, he alleged, Additional Commissioner Arun Kumar Jha emailed the FCI calling the matter “urgent”, followed by further emails on April 13, 16 and 17.

Bharadwaj claimed Jha was suspended after the Centre’s vigilance department detected the arrangement. “It is completely wrong to suspend only officer Arun Kumar Jha… officials are being made scapegoats while the Minister and the Chief Minister are being protected,” he alleged.

“The Centre should now have the ED and CBI investigate the matter and should seek the resignation of the Minister and the Chief Minister,” Burari MLA Sanjeev Jha said.

“Sh. Saurabh Bharadwaj and Sh. Sanjeev Jha have today again made baseless, false, fabricated and malicious allegations against me, clearly intended to defame and malign me. Such a malicious campaign appears to be their modus operandi. But enough is enough,” Sirsa posted on X.

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“I give both Saurabh Bharadwaj and Sanjeev Jha 24 hours to withdraw these false allegations and issue a public apology, failing which I shall be constrained to initiate appropriate legal proceedings against both of them and hold them accountable for these malicious acts. Apology or will meet in court,” he stated.

Devansh Mittal

Devansh Mittal is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in the New Delhi City bureau. He reports on urban policy, civic governance, and infrastructure in the National Capital Region, with a growing focus on housing, land policy, transport, and the disruption economy and its social implications. Professional Background Education: He studied Political Science at Ashoka University. Core Beats: His reporting focuses on policy and governance in the National Capital Region, one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world. He covers housing and land policy, municipal governance, urban transport, and the interface between infrastructure, regulation, and everyday life in the city. Recent Notable Work His recent reporting includes in-depth examinations of urban policy and its on-ground consequences: An investigation into subvention-linked home loans that documented how homebuyers were drawn into under-construction projects through a “builder–bank” nexus, often leaving them financially exposed when delivery stalled. A detailed report on why Delhi’s land-pooling policy has remained stalled since 2007, tracing how fragmented land ownership, policy design flaws, and mistrust among stakeholders have kept one of the capital’s flagship urban reforms in limbo. A reported piece examining the collapse of an electric mobility startup and what it meant for women drivers dependent on the platform for livelihoods. Reporting Approach Devansh’s work combines on-ground reporting with analysis of government data, court records, and academic research. He regularly reports from neighbourhoods, government offices, and courtrooms to explain how decisions on housing, transport, and the disruption economy shape everyday life in the city. Contact X (Twitter): @devanshmittal_ Email: devansh.mittal@expressindia.com ... Read More

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