Vigilance raids Chamba MC office, records seized

Sleuths of the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau on Friday raided the Chamba Municipal Council office and seized records amid allegations of irregularities in the sanitation tendering and procurement process. The raid was led by Additional Superintendent of Police (Vigilance) Abhimanyu Verma.

The Municipal Council has been accused of discrepancies related to the sanitation work conducted during the Minjar fair and the procurement of various goods. The Vigilance team took the possession of records pertaining to the tender process for sanitation and the purchase of items like benches and streetlight poles.

Local councillors from wards, including Chaugan, Sultanpur, Hardaspura, and Surhada, have previously raised concerns about the lack of transparency in the tendering process and the absence of development work in their areas. They claimed that proposals for addressing ward issues had been passed in meetings but were not implemented on the ground, leaving them unable to provide answers to their constituents.

Earlier this year, several councillors had held a week-long protest outside the Municipal Council, demanding action on these issues.

The raid was conducted following a complaint by Right to Information (RTI) activist and social worker Bhuvaneshwar Sharma, who alleged large-scale irregularities in the procurement of sanitation services and other goods.

Sharma noted that the same contractors were repeatedly awarded sanitation tenders and that proper waste disposal was not ensured and garbage was being dumped into rivers and streams due to the closure of the Kurah waste disposal plant.

He expressed hope that the Vigilance would thoroughly investigate the matter and take stringent action against any wrongdoing.

Neelam Nayar, chairperson of the Chamba Municipal Council, stated that discussions on development projects and procurement are held in the House before the tendering process. She emphasised that tendering for sanitation and other purchases was conducted transparently under the supervision of all council members.

Meanwhile, Verma confirmed that complaints regarding irregularities in sanitation servcies and the procurement process had been received.

Following these complaints, s Vigilance team seized records of the Municipal Council for further investigation, with potential action to follow based on its findings.