Govt: Book officials, contractors for graft

Chandigarh, November 22

The state has issued directions to the authorities concerned to register criminal cases against officials and contractors in corruption-related matters and recover Rs 40.94 lakh from them.

The directions came on the recommendation of the Vigilance Bureau.

A government spokesperson said the first matter related to the use of substandard material in the construction of the Lahoria Chowk-DCM Mill Gate road in Hisar. The VB probe revealed that a contractor, who bagged the tender for road work, used substandard material in connivance with the then executive engineer, subdivisional engineer and junior engineer of the Haryana Agriculture Marketing Board, causing a loss of Rs 32.13 lakh to the state exchequer.

The second matter is related to the irregularities in several works under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in Panchkula. It was found during the VB inquiry that the irregularities caused a loss of Rs 8.81 lakh.

The spokesperson said the state had directed the departments concerned to recover the amount from contractors and initiate action against one executive engineer, two municipal engineers and three junior engineers for causing irregularities. — TNS