3 years on, government sitting on Vigilance report

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, April 19

Even after the Vigilance Bureau had established bylaw violations, illegal change of land use, unauthorised use of electricity and evasion of property tax at SCFs in E Block of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, the state government (read the Department of Local Government) has been sitting on the inquiry report for the past three years. The bureau submitted its report to the Local Government Department in July 2015 with recommendations for action against erring employees and officials.

It was on a complaint lodged by Rohit Sabharwal, president of the Council of RTI Activists, that the bureau had launched a probe (05/2014) into serious violations of approved standard design, illegal change of land use and other irregularities against owners of SCFs in E Block of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, a colony developed by the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT). Also under the scanner was dubious role of field staff and supervisory officials of LIT who had failed to check the violations and take suitable action against the owners as per rules.

Information obtained by Rohit Sabharwal from the Vigilance Bureau under the Right to Information Act in April 2018 disclosed that the Vigilance probe was completed and a detailed report was submitted by the Bureau to the Secretary, Local Government, in July 2015. In its detailed report, the Vigilance Bureau had indicted the LIT staff and officials with the recommendations that disciplinary action as per rules be taken against the erring persons for dereliction of duty.

Information provided by the Vigilance Bureau under the RTI Act also indicated that four reminders, the latest having been given in February 2018, were sent to the Local Government Department with the submission that action taken on the basis of report submitted by the Bureau be communicated. But the Local Government Department, it seems, is still dragging its feet in this matter with the guilty employees and officials going scot-free.

In its 14-page report, the Vigilance Bureau had found substantial evidence that the SCF owners had made illegal change of land use by converting portion meant for residential purpose into commercial and had also made non-compoundable violations in construction and approved standard design. It also came out during the probe that many SCF owners were making unauthorised use of electricity by obtaining connections in commercial establishments under the domestic supply (DS) category while some others had evaded payment of property tax to the Municipal Corporation.

Role of field staff, officials under scanner

It was on a complaint lodged by Rohit Sabharwal, president of the Council of RTI Activists, that the bureau had launched a probe (05/2014) into serious violations of approved standard design, illegal change of land use and other irregularities against owners of SCFs in E Block of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, a colony developed by the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT). Also under the scanner was dubious role of field staff and supervisory officials of LIT who had failed to check the violations and take suitable action against the owners as per rules.