PSPCL sacks employee 2 days before retirement, orders recovery of Rs 4.2 crore

Mohit Khanna

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Patiala, January 6

A PSPCL employee working as Assistant Junior Engineer (AJE) has been indicted for siphoning off Rs 4.21 crore. The official was dismissed two days before his retirement on December 29 and his post-retirement benefits have been stopped.

The PSPCL has also ordered a recovery of Rs 4.21 crore on the employee.

Issued tubewell connections illegally

• It was found that Assistant Junior Engineer (AJE) Gurdeep Singh had blatantly bypassed the regulations of the NGT and issued illegal tubewell connections in Bhadaur and other different subdivisions by misusing the material issued from store
• The probe found that 18 unauthorised electricity connections were issued, causing a financial loss of Rs 37.22 lakh. It was also found that the transformers which were issued to the official in 2012-13 were not returned to the store

In a 16-page report, a copy of which is available with The Tribune, the whole-time directors found that the opportunity of rebuttal on the inquiry report as well as personal appearances were accorded to the official by the competent authority (SE-Technical Branch) but the AJE, identified as Gurdeep Singh, did not appear despite repeated reminders.

The inquiry report stated that during the tenure as AJE from 2013-14, Gurdeep withdrew electricity equipment, including transformer and wires, worth Rs 5.94 crore, of which he did not render the account of material worth Rs 5.32 crore.

The report further states that Additional SE/Sub Urban Division, Barnala, vide his office memo No. 8604 issued on December 6, stated that on checking the accounts rendered by the official, a shortage of Rs 4.21 crore was found.

During the checking of records, it was found that Gurdeep had blatantly bypassed the regulations of the NGT and issued illegal tubewell connections in Bhadaur and other different subdivisions by misusing the material issued from the store.

The probe found that 18 unauthorised electricity connections were issued, causing a financial loss of Rs 37.22 lakh. It was also found that the transformers which were issued to the official in 2012-13 were not returned to the store. The probe also found that he helped his close relatives in installing an illegal tubewell connection.