What has outraged the Government is that Barnala recently faxed a message to Civil Supplies Minister Jaspal Singh ordering the release of the said persons booked under the Prevention of Blackmarketing Act even as the four are absconding, Sachivalaya sources said on Tuesday. Singh refused to meet reporters on the matter.

Sources reveal that a copy of the faxed message was sent directly to the jail superintendent at Bhuj without taking the government into confidence.

Apparently irked, Singh is considering drawing Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's attention to it, while Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel has taken a serious view and is planning to apprise his Central party bosses of it, the sources said.

Theprevious RJP Government had asked Civil Supplies Corporation to purchase 60,000 tins of groundnut oil worth about Rs 4 crore for the mid-day meal scheme. The corporation asked GUJCOMASOL, a premier co-operative body, to supply the oil. But, GUJCOMASOL did not have stocks and procured the oil from a Kadi-based firm.

When, on suspicion, samples were sent to NDDB laboratory it was found that the oil was adulterated. After the BJP assumed power, Singh ordered a thorough probe into the ``scandal'', and four civil supplies officials were suspended, the other four were booked under PBM Act for supplying the oil.

Recently, Singh reportedly wrote to the Chief Minister, demanding former Civil Supplies Corporation managing director Vijaysinh Parmar's suspension too. Keshubhai Patel is yet to respond on the matter.