File on controversial tree-pruning machine goes missing from Mohali MC office

MC commissioner Kamal Kumar Garg has given the department concerned three days to locate the file, following which legal action will be taken.

Published on: Jun 3, 2020, 24:27:56 IST

Hindustan Times, Mohali | By Hillary Victor, Mohali

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Three years after failing to recover ₹89 lakh from a company for making the controversial tree-pruning machine, the Mohali municipal corporation (MC) has now said the company’s case file has gone missing from their office in Sector 68.

MC commissioner Kamal Kumar Garg has given the department concerned three days to locate the file, following which legal action will be taken. On the other hand, the Congress party has demanded the lodging of an FIR in the case of the missing file.

WHAT IS THE CONTROVERSY

In January 2017, the Mohali MC decided to purchase a tree-pruning machine and after the tenders were floated, an advance payment of ₹89.5 lakh was made to a company. The machine, however, was never handed over to the civic body. Later, an inquiry was conducted. Some officials were charged for corruption and the Punjab government issued orders to recover the money for the alleged discrepancies in the purchase of the machine and also issued the cancellation of the tender.

BR Bansal, retired additional district and sessions judge, was appointed to investigate the matter. The judge presented his report to the government on 20 October, 2019, in which the discrepancies related to the purchase of the machine were confirmed.

WHAT THEY SAY

I have already issued a notice to the officials concerned to locate the file in three days, following which a legal action will be taken against them. We will not spare any official for the lapse.

Kamal Kumar Garg, MC Commissioner of Mohali

I submitted a written complaint to the MC commissioner on Tuesday and have demanded lodging of FIR for the allegedly missing file. The civic body has completely failed to recover the amount from the company, which is now ₹2 crore with interest. If the MC will not take any action, we will go to court.

Kuljeet Singh Bedi, former Congress councillor

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hillary Victor
Hillary Victor is a Special Correspondent at Chandigarh. He covers Chandigarh administration, municipal corporation and all political parties.

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