MC, Chandigarh Administration stalling probe into Manimajra 24x7 water supply project: Cong

The Chandigarh Congress has accused the Municipal Corporation and the UT Administration of stalling the Vigilance probe into allegations of corruption in the Manimajra 24x7 water supply project.

Rajiv Sharma, chief spokesperson of the city Congress, stated that the MC was not cooperating with the Vigilance probe as it had not provided the detailed report of the project and other relevant documents even when a notice for the purpose was sent to it on July 10 this year. A recent reminder sent to the corporation by the Vigilance authorities also had no effect on them, he added.

Stating that the whole project was planned and implemented during the period when the BJP was at the helm both in New Delhi and Chandigarh, he alleged that the controversial and ‘unnecessary’ loan of more than Rs 450 crore was taken by the BJP-led MC, which was being serviced by increasing taxes on the people.

To add to its financial woes, the resource-deficient civic body was now being forced to pay Rs 90 crores for the operation and maintenance of the project for 15 years even as the 24x7 project had not even taken off.

The city Congress demanded that a free and fair probe into the alleged corruption in the Manimajra water project must be held expeditiously so that those who had allegedly usurped public money and placed the corporation under heavy debt were brought to book.