Chandigarh Speeding up its probe into an alleged high-profile Irrigation Scam, the Punjab vigilance and anti-corruption bureau have summoned former irrigation ministers and SAD leaders Sharanjit Dhillon and Janmeja Singh Sekhon, ex-chief secretary Sarvesh Kaushal, former additional chief secretary KBS Sidhu and ex-IAS KS Pannu.
As per an official, whereas Pannu and Dhillon have been summoned on February 1, Kaushal and Sekhon have been asked to appear on February 2. KBS Sidhu has been asked to appear on February 3.
They have been asked to bring documents of their properties and bank details. This will be the second appearance of the ex-ministers and ex-bureaucrats in the case. All have been grilled earlier by the VB in the last two months.
Notably, a lookout circular (LoC) was also issued against all of them. As Kaushal and KBS Sidhu were abroad when VB had summoned them for the first time, both had moved to Punjab and Haryana high court. Later, they joined the probe after getting relief from the high court.
Kaushal, a 1982-batch IAS officer, remained chief secretary between June 2014 and March 2017. He retired in August 2018. Dhillon remained the irrigation minister between 2012 and 2017 and was considered one of the most powerful ministers during the Akali regime.
{{/usCountry}}Kaushal, a 1982-batch IAS officer, remained chief secretary between June 2014 and March 2017. He retired in August 2018. Dhillon remained the irrigation minister between 2012 and 2017 and was considered one of the most powerful ministers during the Akali regime.
{{/usCountry}}The retired IAS officers are being probed in the case related to their role when they were posted in the irrigation department during the Akali regime. Gurinder was the blue-eyed contractor of the department during that time, the VB probe had claimed.
The vigilance bureau registered an FIR on August 17, 2017, under the Prevention of Corruption Act against kingpin and contractor Gurinder Singh and three senior officers of the Punjab government, Sarvesh Kaushal, KBS Sidhu, KS Pannu, for alleged misuse of public funds. Janmeja Singh Sekhon and Sharanjit Dhillon who were irrigation ministers during the Akali regime are also under VB scanner in the probe.
The VB said that during the Akali government’s tenure, senior officials connived with the contractor Gurinder and allocated works worth ₹1,000 crore to him at more than 50% of the departmental rates. Gurinder was arrested by the VB in 2017 and at present is out on bail. It’s alleged that Gurinder and several others were awarded drainage repair contracts of over ₹3,000 crore through tailor-made conditions allegedly by senior bureaucrats and top officials of the irrigation department. He was favoured to the tune of ₹1,000 crore in just seven contracts, the vigilance investigation recorded.
VB investigation has also recorded that engineers of the irrigation department favoured Gurinder Singh and Company, a firm that Gurinder owned. He was allotted more than 60% of the total work by cost, in violation of the rules and guidelines of the department.