Probe corruption in Jalandhar civic body, Punjab CM urged

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 28

BJP leader and general secretary Ashok Sareen Hicky has written to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, seeking the findings of a probe into the alleged corruption in the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation as well as the Improvement Trust. Sareen also questioned the lack of concrete action despite an already ongoing VB inquiry on the issue.

No action by Vigilance Department

I had personally made a complaint with the Vigilance Department along with a recorded statement. But in the past 6-7 months, the Vigilance Bureau, summoned the record from the Improvement Trust and the MC, but no concrete legal action has been taken. Ashok Sareen Hicky, BJP leader

In his letter to the CM, stated: “As per the MC’s Smart City projects and under the Swacch Bharat Abhiyan, crores of grants were received from the Centre for roads, sewerage, parks, makeover of city chowks…corruption has taken place in many works. Complaints were also registered against the Tehbazari Department and Building Branch officials for illegal and faulty constructions due to which losses were caused to the state government and the MC. For the past many years, complaints have been made regarding corruption by leaders and officials in plot distribution, registries, transfers and development works in Jalandhar Improvement Trust, in which the Vigilance Department hasn’t initiated any concrete action despite seizure of records.”

In the letter, he further alleged, “I had personally made a complaint with the vigilance department along with a recorded statement, regarding this play of corruption and collusion between officials and leaders. But in the past 6-7 months, the Vigilance Bureau, summoned the record from the Improvement Trust and the MC, but no concrete legal action has been taken. In other cities, the Vigilance Department is in action but the inquiries into the scams in the Jalandhar MC and IT have yielded zero results so far.”

“I request you to ensure that the investigation into the cases of both these government departments be completed in a time-bound manner, and it be made public whether discrepancies have surfaced in Improvement Trust and MC workings or not,” he said.