Graft allegations: MCB fails to constitute probe panel

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 5

Despite facing the heat over corruption charges, the Municipal Corporation Bathinda  (MCB) has failed to constitute a probe committee till date. 

In the general house meeting held on March 31, a hot argument was held between councillors and the MCB commissioner over allegations of corruption. 

The councilors alleged that corruption was flourishing in the MCB. They also raised the issue of Rs 24 lakh spent on stainless steel dustbins which had not been made available in the city yet. They also questioned the recruitment of relatives of some MCB officials on various posts within the civic body. 

Mayor Balwant Rai Nath and MCB Commissioner Anil Kumar Garg, irked over the allegations, had announced that they were ready for any probe by the CBI, Vigilance Bureau or a committee constituted by the house.

The Mayor had stated in the meeting that an eight-member committee would be constituted which would probe the allegations in various projects and works, but even after five days, no committee has been constituted.

Senior Deputy Mayor Tarsem Goyal said it was  sad that a probe committee had not been constituted yet. This clearly indicated the soft approach of the MCB towards graft. A probe committee should be constituted immediately or he would stage a protest and raise the issue again in the next meeting, he added.

Mayor Balwant Rai Nath said the probe committee had not been constituted but the process was on and it would be constituted soon.

Congress councillors said the delay  was justifying the councillors’ demand of a high-level Vigilance probe.