Ludhiana | Chief vigilance officer inspects records at LIT office

Inspection being carried out over allegations of malpractices in e-auction of properties during the Congress regime; chief vigilance officer (CVO) Rajiv Sekhri stated that an inquiry is also being carried out on the quality of material used in reconstruction of Pakhowal Road

Acting on complaints of alleged malpractices in e-auction of properties during the Congress regime, local bodies department’s chief vigilance officer (CVO) Rajiv Sekhri visited Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) office in Feroze Gandhi market on Wednesday and checked its records.

Chief vigilance officer Rajiv Sekhri, along with other officials, inspecting the records at Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) office in Ludhiana on Wednesday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

Sekhri stated that an inquiry is also being carried out on the quality of material used in reconstruction of Pakhowal Road. The department had recently received a complaint that the road had started to peel off weeks after reconstruction.

The vigilance department is also conducting inquiry into the allotment of Orient Cinema Site and a number of plots allotted by LIT under local displaced persons (LDP) category.

An official, requesting anonymity, stated that the vigilance is conducting inquiries in around 18 cases, most of which are related to the sales branch of the department. A number of complaints were submitted with the vigilance department in the past wherein the complainant has accused former LIT chairman or other officials of benefitting few bidders in the e-auctions organised by the department. CVO Sekhri stated that the inquiries are being conducted into the complaints received by the vigilance department in the past and LIT officials have been directed to provide the records. “I will also visit Pakhowal Road to check the quality of work done by the contractor and action will be taken if any anomalies are found after the inquiry is completed,” said Sekhri.

LIT directed to open park next to house of ex-chairman

After receiving complaint against alleged encroachment by former LIT chairman Raman Balasubramaniam over a park, next to his house, the CVO directed the department to make sure that the park is open for public. As per the complaint, the former LIT chairman had installed a gate on the green belt and was using it for parking cars. Balasubramaniam has been refuting the allegations leveled against him.