Vigilance begins probe into MCB projects

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 19

The Vigilance Bureau (VB) has begun a probe into the alleged irregularities in projects — buying of mobile toilets and installation of stainless steel dustbins — undertaken by the Municipal Corporation, Bathinda, (MCB) under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

The VB has taken record of these two projects from the MCB in its possession and is conducting verification.

Vigilance SP Bhupinderjit Singh is heading the probe and it is expected to be over by next week.

Bhupinderjit Singh said, “We are conducting a probe into the two projects of the MCB. Presently, physical verification is going on and we are taking records from the MCB regarding this. The probe is expected to complete by next week.”

He said the department had initiated the probe after taking sue motto notice of news reports published in a newspaper regarding irregularities in these works.

The MCB had installed 180 stainless steel dustbins at various locations, which cost around Rs 24 lakh.

It purchased each pair of dustbins at a cost of Rs 13,124 and spent Rs 800 on installation for a pair.

Most of the dustbins have been damaged at many places or they are missing. It seems to be the handiwork of thieves.

MCB officials have failed to get an FIR registered for the missing dustbins, which has raised eyebrows.

A hue and cry was witnessed over the payment made by the MCB to a Delhi-based company for transporting, loading and unloading seven mobile toilets.

The MCB has spent Rs 38.57 lakh for purchasing seven mobile toilets while it has spent Rs 9.80 lakh in transporting and installing them.

In order to transport each trolley size mobile toilet to Bathinda from Faridabad, the MCB has spent Rs 1.40 lakh.

The MCB has paid Rs 85,000 as transportation charges for each toilet and Rs 55,000 as loading and unloading charges per unit.

This information had come to light in an RTI application filed by city resident Harmilap Singh Grewal.