E-Paper
Mohali village: Four years after FIR, no inquiry into ₹50-crore embezzlement
It’s been four years since the registration of an FIR in the alleged embezzlement of ₹50.42 crore government funds meant for Jheorheri villag, but the Punjab vigilance bureau has failed to conduct an inquiry
It’s been four years since the registration of an FIR in the alleged embezzlement of ₹50.42 crore government funds meant for Jheorheri village in Mohali, but the Punjab vigilance bureau has failed to conduct an inquiry.
The secretary, rural development and panchayat, has now taken up the issue with the higher authorities and has also written to the director general of police (DGP), vigilance bureau (VB), to look into the matter personally and issue directions.
The case dates back to 2017 when Congress MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu raised the issue in Vidhan Sabha, alleging embezzlement of funds meant for development works at Jheorheri and compensation disbursed to villagers in lieu of land for construction of the international airport that began in 2009.
A preliminary inquiry found that ₹50 crore had been disbursed in contravention of rules. In February 2018, the VB registered a case against former district development and panchayat officer (DDPO) Gurwinder Singh Sarao, then block development and panchayat officer (BDPO) Jatinder Singh Dhillon, panchayat secretary Ravinder Singh, former sarpanch Gurpal Singh and former panchayat samiti chairman Resham Singh for purchasing land worth ₹24 crore against rules.
Scrutiny of records also found that in 2009, the then director rural development and panchayat (DRDP) Gurdev Singh Sidhu, in whose name the compensation was deposited in the bank, disbursed ₹8.94 crore to private individuals without following the mandatory procedure. The secretary, Rahul Bhandari, has stated that it a clear misuse of power and personnel department may like to take appropriate action.
The letter further stated that even in 2016, the then DRDP, Sukhjeet Singh Bains, disbursed ₹11 crore to private individuals while ignoring the orders of legal remembrancer, who in 2012 held that the department should wait for the high court orders in the case.
“It is clarified that the department is of the considered view that nowhere in the statute any power has been given to DRDP to hear the claim petitions filed by private individuals; therefore, such claims were settled without any power vested, through any law, on him,” stated the letter.
‘Needs proper scrutiny’
Bhandari has asked the higher authorities for proper scrutiny regarding the settlement of claims through the office of advocate general or any other department as the government deems fit.
Regarding the expenditure of ₹6.33 crore by the gram panchayat for development works, the department got the matter inquired from the superintending engineer (panchayat secretaries). In the report submitted on November 2017, it was found that BDPOs Mohinder Singh, Malwinder Singh, Jatinder Singh Dhillon; panchayat secretaries Jasbir Singh and Ravinder Singh; and sarpanch Gurpal Singh embezzled funds amounting to ₹3.62 crore, following which the case was handed over to the vigilance bureau.
Even as an FIR was registered, even after four years and several reminders, the vigilance failed to prepare any report. The secretary stated that the case involves misappropriation of funds on a large scale due to the involvement of delinquent officers and has brought a bad name to the department, and needs thorough inquiry.
