Tuesday,
April 29, 2003, Chandigarh, India
|
 |
| M A I
N N E W S |
TRIBUNE SPECIAL
Scam worth crores detected
Improvement trust dealings
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service
The gateway to the “new Amritsar scheme” on the Amritsar-Jalandhar road, which is in the eye of a storm after detection of excess payment worth crores made to ineligible persons.
— Tribune photo Rajiv Sharma
|
Amritsar, April 28
The state government has detected an alleged scam in the payment of compensation worth crores in lieu of the acquisition of 340 acres land for the New Amritsar Scheme (NAS), pertaining to the improvement trust here. The excess payment of Rs 2.36 crore, given to ineligible persons, is being considered as just the tip of the iceberg. In certain cases, the improvement trust also disbursed compensation, due in the names of dead persons, to ineligible persons. After the detection of the alleged scam, Mr Iqbal Singh Sidhu, Deputy Commissioner, who is also officiating as Chairman of the improvement trust, relieved Mr Roop Lal Bhagat, an Executive Officer. The Superintendent of Police (Vigilance Bureau) had earlier obtained record regarding the “scam”. As per the official record available with The Tribune, the Deputy Director, Urban Local Bodies, had said that there might be a large number of other cases of fraud in this regard which should not go undetected. On the basis of the report submitted by the Deputy Commissioner, the Secretary, Local Bodies, Mr Sarwesh Kaushal, has ordered a high-level probe. Mr Kaushal has reportedly given nod to the district administration to take stern action against the culprits. In another case, the Department of Local Government
has
indicted Mr Bhagat for issuing fake notices to some persons for “fake khokhas” falling under the Golden Temple beautification project. Such a step was taken to create rights of the “fake beneficiaries” to get alternative sites in lieu of the “fake khokhas”. When contacted, Mr A.K. Kansal, Chief Vigilance Officer, Local Government Department, confirmed that the role of the officials in the “fake notices” issued by the trust was being investigated.The report of the Deputy Commissioner addressed to Secretary, Local Government, reads, “The trust officials have illegally received the rent/tehbazari from certain persons in Mochi Bazaar and Chowk Ghanta Ghar from 1996 onward for making their eligibility for getting ‘galliara shops’ while as per a survey conducted by them earlier, these khokhas were not existing”. The Deputy Commissioner, in his report, stated that the ‘tehbazari’ from at least two persons was received illegally by Mr Bhagat and Mr Surinder Kumar Uppal, Senior Assistant (Rent Collector), at their own level. The Deputy Commissioner recommended chargesheeting both officials. In her five-page report submitted to the Commissioner of the Jalandhar division, Ms Gurpreet Sapra, a PCS officer, had also indicted the improvement trust officials for the glaring irregularities while disbursing the compensation. The Executive Officer, improvement trust, in his separate report, has concluded that while disbursing the compensation for the 340 acres NAS, especially in case of dead persons, irregularities were committed and a large sum was allegedly embezzled. As per the fact-finding report submitted by Ms Sapra, it was pointed out that audit of the huge funds meant for compensation was never conducted while accounts were transferred from one bank to others without any official notings. The trust had received a sum of Rs 67 crore in January 1998, out of which Rs 53 crore were deposited in the Oriental Bank of Commerce. So far, Rs 47 crore had already been disbursed as compensation. One of the complainants had alleged that her “fake account” was opened in a bank without her knowledge and the amount was embezzled. However, when contacted, Mr Bhagat refuted the charges. He said the report of Ms Sapra was biased as she had not sought his version before submitting the same to the higher authorities. He claimed that he was superintendent at the time when the compensation was disbursed and hence he obeyed the orders of the then Land Acquisition Officer. He claimed that the officer had disbursed the compensation strictly as per the rules. He alleged that his image was being tarnished by certain officials due to departmental rivalry. While his attention was drawn to irregularities in the case of dead persons, Mr Bhagat claimed that the Land Acquisition Officer acted as per the will of the deceased persons, strictly as per the law.
|
