Vigilance Bureau arrests MD of construction firm for embezzling public funds
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has arrested Lakhwinder Singh, Managing Director of M/s Tung Builders Private Limited, Gurdaspur, for misusing public funds allocated for construction of District Judicial Complex in Nawanshahr. He had been absconding for more than three months.
Disclosing this here today, an official spokesperson of the Vigilance Bureau said the Public Works Department (PWD) had issued tenders in 2017 for construction of the judicial court complex in SBS Nagar and it was awarded to Tung Builders Private Limited, Gurdaspur, on 03.08.2017. The project was to be completed within 18 months at a cost of Rs 35,19,18,620. Later, the PWD had increased the project’s scope by adding parking and residential quarters for judges within the complex, raising the cost to Rs 65,91,47,000. However, the contractor, Tung Builders, failed to complete the work within the stipulated time-frame. Despite this, the officials/employees of PWD, Nawanshahr, colluded with the said accused Lakhwinder Singh, the MD of Tung Builders, and made payments of approximately Rs 53,00,00,000 up to March 2023.
He further informed that due to the non-completion of the project within the agreed timeline, the allotment was terminated in May 2023 by the department, and a four-member committee was constituted to investigate the misuse of allocated funds.
The spokesperson added that the committee report had revealed that due to the negligence of eight officials/employees of the PWD, an excess payment of Rs 11,50,00,000 was made to Tung Builders.
Based on this report, a case has been registered against eight officials/employees of the PWD along with the said contractor of Tung Builders Private Limited under Sections 406, 409 and 420 of IPC and Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act at Sadar police station, Nawanshahr.
Further investigation in the case is in progress and raids are being conducted at the residential and other locations of the remaining absconding accused, the Vigilance Bureau spokesperson said.
