E-Paper
Ludhiana: Probe panel finds 30 more ‘ghost’ staffers in MC
The scam of unauthorised payments and arrears, running into crores of rupees, to these bogus employees was initially discovered by MC officials in January when 44 bogus employees were found
As many as 30 more “ghost” employees have been found in the municipal corporation during an investigation by a committee formed by the MC commissioner, taking the total number of such staffers in the civic body to 74.
The scam of unauthorised payments and arrears, running into crores of rupees, to these bogus employees was initially discovered by MC officials in January when 44 bogus employees were found.
The investigation into the scam was prompted by objections raised by a team of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) during a routine audit. In response, the commissioner formed a committee headed by additional commissioner Paramdeep Singh to thoroughly investigate the irregularities.
“As many as 30 more ghost employees have been found where unauthorised payments have been transferred and a committee which was formed is still investigating and checking the accounts where crores of rupees have been transferred. Moreover, payments have been done in different accounts and the department is under process to recover that amount,” MC commissioner Rishi said.
The MC commissioner had recommended filing of an FIR against the culprits. A total of 51 individuals, including 44 bogus employees and seven MC employees, allegedly involved in the scam have been identified and held accountable for their actions.
The committee’s probe has led to the discovery of an extensive network of ghost employees within the department. These individuals received substantial arrear payments through unauthorised means, implicating senior officials and seven MC employees in the process.
To address the issue effectively, clear directives have been issued to recover the misappropriated funds from the bank accounts of the perpetrators. Additionally, seven employees implicated in the scam were suspended on January 5, 2024.
In 2018, around 70 “ghost” employees were found in the civic body, prompting calls for a vigilance inquiry. However, the matter remained unresolved as the Municipal Employees Sangharsh Committee opposed the inquiry.
