AG to inquire into ‘misuse’ of labour board vehicles

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, December 8

The Principal Accountant General of Punjab (Audit) has started an inquiry into the ‘misuse’ of government vehicles that are meant for the Building and Other Construction Workers’ (BOCW) Board only. Many senior officials of the Labour Department are in the dock in the case, said sources.

The Principal Accountant General of Punjab (Audit) has already asked the Deputy Accountant General to inquire into the matter. Notably, The Tribune, in September this year, had published a report, wherein, senior officials, including a former Principal Secretary of the Labour Department, were found using Labour Welfare Board cars, meant for cess collection and to expedite workers’ registration, for other purposes.

An RTI reply had revealed that 22 of the 27 cars had been given to the 22 area circle officers (district- wise) for fieldwork. However, none of the officers used the board’s car for the designated purposes – from April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019.

It was also found that high-ranking officers did not mention the purposes of some of the visits in the vehicle logbook. Besides, during some journeys, they only mentioned ‘official work’ in the logbook — without specifying the purpose. On some occasions, they even travelled to other districts in the cars, which they were not authorised to.

Moreover, some of the cars, purchased by the board in 2011-12, had turned ‘white elephant’ as maintenance expenditure was Rs 8,500, while drivers had an annual salary of Rs 1.25 lakh.

Confirming the ordering of inquiry, Deputy Accountant General Baljeet Kumar Mehra said they would inquire into the matter and submit the report within a month. He said, “We will check the violations as per government norms. I am hopeful that I will complete the inquiry in a month.”