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Amritsar-Kolkata Corridor: VB arrests Muktsar ADC Dhillon in land compensation scam
Surinder Dhillon has been accused of funds embezzlement and failure to perform his duties regarding a grant of ₹285 crore released for compensation related to 1,103 acres of land acquired for the project
Chandigarh: The vigilance bureau (VB) on Saturday arrested Surinder Dhillon, additional deputy commissioner (development) of Muktsar, for allegedly misappropriating funds released in 2022 for compensation of land acquired for the proposed Amritsar-Kolkata Corridor project in Patiala district.
A VB spokesperson said that Dhillon, then posted as the district development and panchayat officer (DDPO), faced charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
“Dhillon has been accused of funds embezzlement and failure to perform his duties regarding a grant of ₹285 crore released for compensation related to 1,103 acres of land acquired for the Amritsar-Kolkata Corridor project, specifically in Akkri, Sehra, Sehri, Takhtumajra and Pabra villages in the Shambhu Block of Patiala district,” the spokesperson said.
“During investigation, it was found that 30% of the funds allocated was supposed to be deposited in the account of secretary wages of the DDPO office but it was not done properly. Also, as per the rules, only 10% of the remaining funds was intended for the development of these five villages while the accused overspent significantly, using around ₹65 crore on paper for development projects. Some of these projects existed only on paper and the actual work completed did not meet the required technical specifications,” he added.
An FIR has been registered against Dhillon and investigations are on.
Earlier, some sarpanches and members of the panchayats from these villages had been arrested in connection with the case. Also, former MLA Madan Lal Jalalpur, his son and some of their associates, were nabbed.
