5 Punjab DFOs summoned by Vigilance in forest scam

Jupinderjit Singh

Chandigarh, June 13

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has summoned five Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs) for further inquiry into the commission scam allegedly involving former Forest Minister SS Dharamsot even as the government today carried out a major reshuffle in the Vigilance Department, shifting five SSPs.

Sources said five DFOs had been summoned to probe the allegations of bribe paid to the ex-minister for transfers as well as commission given for development work in the forest. Some of the DFOs were asked to appear today but they sought time to prepare their replies. Dharamsot was arrested last week and booked under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly taking crores of rupees from contractors as well as staff. Meanwhile, the Punjab Government has appointed Rahul S as Director, Vigilance. The five new SSPs (Vigilance) are Dayana Harish Kumar, Bathinda; Surendra Lamba, Economic Offences Wing, Ludhiana; Gurmeet Singh, Ferozepore; Varinder Singh, Amrtisar; and Daljit Singh, Mohali.

The government also posted Gurjot Singh Kaler, Kanwaldeep Singh and Simratpal Singh Dhindsa as Joint Directors (Vigilance). It posted Manmohan Kumar as AIG (Vigilance), Mohali. — TNS