Sidhu suspends 10 Improvement Trust officials

Tribune News Service

Chandiagrh/Bathinda, May 4

Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu today suspended 10 employees of Bathinda Improvement Trust for alleged irregularities in the construction of the Manmohan Kalia Enclave, comprising 96 flats, located on the Goniana road in the city.

The suspended employees who have been handed over the charge-sheet are Junior Engineers Gurbinderpal Singh and Jasbir Singh, Assistant Trust Engineers Mukhtiar Singh and Gur Raj Singh, Trust Engineer Rakesh Garg and Executive Officers Harinder Singh Chahal, Gora Lal, Kulwant Singh Brar, Jawahar Lal and Baljit Kumar.

Three more accused on the list are retired employees — Zora Singh, Kanwar Balbir Singh and Hans Raj Sharma.

The officials concerned issued the completion certificate and refunded the security of the contractor without a survey of the building.

Manmohan Kalia Enclave Flat Allottees’ Association led by former media incharge of the state BJP Sunil Singla had lodged a complaint with the minister, following which a probe was marked.

The minister said: “The guilty will not be spared in any of the trust allotments where people have been befooled”.

The matter had been hanging fire even after three Vigilance inquiries giving adverse comments on the project execution.

It was stated that in 2010, the Bathinda Improvement Trust had invited applications for the allotment of flats in the Manmohan Kalia Enclave and offered 96 multi-storey apartments with all amenities. The possession was to be handed over to the allottees by October 20, 2013.

The complainants alleged that the flats were still not in a position to be occupied and the material used was sub-standard.

In a related development, the National Consumer Disputes Commission, on April 21, allowed a compensation of Rs 10,000 per month to a set of complainants from the date from which the possession was to be given till the date of actual possession. The aggrieved party in this case included owners of 60 of the 96 flats.

Singla, meanwhile, said: “We will appreciate if we are refunded the entire amount as the quarters are not worth living.”