Punjab Vigilance Bureau books 5 contractors, food dept officials in Faridkot

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, September 16

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Friday registered a criminal case against five contractors and many officials of the Food and Civil Supplies Department in Faridkot for committing irregularities in accepting labour, cartage and transportation tenders in 2019-20 season for Kotkapura and Jaito areas’ grain markets.

A case under Section 420, 409, 467, 468, 471, 120-B of the IPC and under Section 7, 8, 12, 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered after the VB’s investigation found that the lists of vehicles submitted by the contractors for the purpose of transportation included registration numbers of scooters, motorcycles, cars and other vehicles. Due to their alleged connivance with the contractors, department officials in the district tender committee did not verify these vehicles.

Rishu Mittal, Pawan Kumar, Vishu Mittal, Prem Chand and Yogesh Gupta are the accused contractors. The role of the suspect employees in the department is under investigation and they would be named after completion of investigation, said the VB spokesman.

The VB probe found that the accused contractors had provided fake registration numbers of vehicles in the lists attached to the transportation tenders submitted in 2019-20.

During the investigation of registration numbers of vehicles as well as details of the quantity of foodgrains mentioned in gate passes, it was a prima facie case of fake reporting and embezzlement of foodgrains, alleged VB authorities.

The bureau alleged that the officers concerned of the department as well as procurement agencies had paid the bills to the contractors on the basis of such gate passes without verifying those. In this regard, the transportation of foodgrains had been shown on fake documents.

Some of the accused were earlier in partnership in the rice shelling business with an Akali leader of the area. After change of government in 2017, these accused established contact with a Ludhiana-based minister and started getting the allotment of labour, cartage and transportation tenders.

Two-wheelers on list

The lists of vehicles submitted by the contractors for the purpose of transportation included registration numbers of scooters, motorcycles, cars and other vehicles

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