Vigilance Dept rejects inquiry reports

CHANDIGARH: The UT Vigilance Department has rejected the "incomplete" inquiry reports of 10 paid parking lots in the city. Sleuths of the Vigilance Department have now been asked to submit fact-finding reports, giving details of the "responsibility of officials who allotted the contract, those who extended the contract and the field staff who conducted inspections".

Inquiry officials have now been asked to submit point-wise detailed reports on violations at parking lots. A file photo

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 24

The UT Vigilance Department has rejected the "incomplete" inquiry reports of 10 paid parking lots in the city.

Sleuths of the Vigilance Department have now been asked to submit fact-finding reports, giving details of the "responsibility of officials who allotted the contract, those who extended the contract and the field staff who conducted inspections".

After the Elante Mall paid parking case, UT Adviser Vijay Kumar Dev, in August this year, had ordered a Vigilance probe into overcharging and other violations at the remaining 23 parking lots in the city.

On the Adviser’s directions, the UT Vigilance Department had initiated the probe. A senior official of the UT Vigilance Department said recently officials had submitted reports in 10 cases. However, in all cases, the reports did not specify who was responsible for allotting and extending the contract despite violations at the paid parking lots. The reports were general in nature. The inquiry officials had now been asked to submit point-wise detailed reports at the earliest, he said. During the probe of the Elante Mall parking lot, the Vigilance sleuths had collected the records of 23 parking lots.

Sources said the Vigilance Department had collected documents, which revealed that despite a number of violations, officials of the MC Enforcement Department had given "satisfactory performance" reports in favour of the contractors. On the basis of these reports, the MC officials renewed their contract.

Dept had recommended action against MC staff

The UT Vigilance Department, in its inquiry report of the Elante Mall paid parking lot submitted to UT Adviser Vijay Kumar Dev, had recommended suitable departmental action against former MC Additional Commissioner Sarita Malik, Enforcement Superintendent Kashmira Singh, Inspector (Enforcement Staff) Sunil Kumar and Sub-Inspector (Enforcement Staff) Darshan Pal Singh.

MC had terminated licences of two contractors

After the Vigilance probe, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation had terminated the licences of two parking lots — Elante Mall and Sukhna Lake — as the replies submitted by both contractors to the show-cause notices issued by the MC were found to be unsatisfactory. Recently, the MC had auctioned these lots to new contractors.