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Punjab Vigilance Bureau books 3 contractors, firms in Sangrur foodgrain transportation scam
S spokesperson of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau said a case has been registered against contractors Paramveer Singh of Barnala, Jaswant Rai of SBS Nagar, and Rajiv Kumar of Jaito and Rajiv Kumar of Jaito, and the firms, M/s Zimmidara Transport Company, Khanna, M/s Zaildar Contractors, M/s Jagroop Singh & Sandeep Kumar, Malerkotla.
In yet another scam in transportation of foodgrains, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has registered a case against three contractors and their three firms for committing fraud in the allotment of tenders for transportation of foodgrains, clubbing of clusters for transportation and labour tenders in various grain markets of Sangrur district. Further investigation in this case is under progress.
Stating this here on Thursday, a spokesperson of the VB said a case has been registered against contractors Paramveer Singh of Barnala, Jaswant Rai of SBS Nagar, and Rajiv Kumar of Jaito, and the firms, M/s Zimmidara Transport Company, Khanna, M/s Zaildar Contractors, M/s Jagroop Singh & Sandeep Kumar, Malerkotla.
He added that during the investigations it was found that at the time of allotting tenders for the transportation of foodgrains, the accused in connivance with each other decreased the number of clusters for transportation besides cartage and labour tenders in 2019-20. Earlier, there were about 58 clusters for transportation, 50 clusters for cartage and about 180 clusters for labour work due to which small contractors were used to participate in the tender process. Due to competition among the contractors, tenders having lower rates were allotted but in 2020-21, the said clusters were made big without any valid reason so that as per the new policy, small contractors couldn’t fulfil the high turnover condition and participate in the tenders.
He said that in connivance with officials/employees of the department, the accused had made 39 clusters for transportation, 21 clusters for cartage, eight clusters for labour and cartage and 21 clusters of labour separately.
The spokesperson added that after obtaining the list of vehicles registered in the gate passes from the department of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs, Sangrur, it was found that there were many vehicles having registration numbers of scooters/motorcycles/cars etc., while the transportation work could not be done through such vehicles.
He said during the probe, it was found that government money has been embezzled by the accused on the basis of fake gate passes. In this regard, FIR under Sections 409, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC and Sections 13(1)(a), 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered.