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Punjab: VB begins probe into allotment of PWD tenders during Congress regime
The probe has been handed over to a DSP-rank official of the VB posted in Sangrur and at least five persons who were considered close to previous PWD minister Vijay Inder Singla have been summoned on September 5
Allegations of manipulation in allotment of Punjab public works department (PWD) tenders during the previous Congress regime have come under vigilance bureau (VB) lens with a preliminary probe already launched by the bureau in the case.
The probe has been handed over to a DSP-rank official of the VB posted in Sangrur and at least five persons who were considered close to previous PWD minister Vijay Inder Singla have been summoned on September 5.
These include a private person Vinod Kumar ‘Neetu’, who was considered a right-hand man of Singla, besides one Muktsar native, a Bareta resident, a Bathinda native and two superintendent engineers and a Ludhiana man.
All these are alleged to have been involved in the tendering process.
Though senior officials in the bureau are tight-lipped on disclosing anything citing it a high-profile matter, insiders in the VB admitted of commencement of the probe. All have been summoned with details of his property earned during previous five years, the said officials disclosed.
“We have summoned few persons in the probe that has been started on the allegation of a complaint by some contractors who could not get tenders,” confirmed VB Sangrur DSP Parminder Singh.
VB officials privy to the developments disclosed that the complaint lodged with the bureau is on the lines of a WhatsApp message that had went viral during the previous Congress government against the tendering process in the department.
The complaint and the message has the same names as persons close to the then PWD minister, it has been learnt.
In the text message that is in the public domain, serious allegations on how the tenders were inflated to earn more were leveled along with the entire modus operandi.
“We have just started looking into the files. Nothing can be said at this stage,” a senior official said, who wished to remain anonymous.
After coming to power, the AAP government has started gathering details of tenders worth more than ₹five crore each allotted in the past year, including a comparison of the price at which they were allotted and the technically sanctioned estimate.
It is being alleged that certain tenders were allotted at rates which brought down the government’s savings.
“Tenders which were earlier being allotted at 15-20% were allotted at 1-2% below the actual cost during the Congress regime, thereby reducing the government savings,” he said.
The complaints alleged that the manipulation was done by taking contractors into confidence.
The AAP dispensation, it is learnt, got a report regarding a ₹100-crore tender for a road project related to Smart City Kapurthala in October last year which was opened at full rates.
However, after the matter was highlighted by some officials of the department, re-tendering was done and it was allotted for ₹80 crore, thus saving ₹20 crore for the government.
The former PWD minister was not available for comments despite repeated attempts.
