Dragging its feet to conclude an inquiry into the infamous booth allotment scam, the UT Administration has drawn flak from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Sources said that the MHA has sent a communiqué to the UT Administration asking status of inquiry into the scam which had indicted former Railway Minister and local MP Pawan Kumar Bansal among others.
After getting CBI’s clean chit into the Railway Board Bribery Scam, Bansal is now likely to face trouble in the UT Booth Allotment Scam.
Sources said, “The MHA has sent a reminder to the UT Administration asking the latter about the status of ongoing inquiry into the booth allotment scam. The MHA has asked the administration to send the reports of inquiry conducted at various levels in the UT Administration.”
“This was the second reminder sent by MHA to the UT Administration regarding the scam. Earlier, a letter was sent to the UT Administration in 2011 when the issue had rocked the proceedings of both Houses of Parliament. later, another reminder was sent last year,” informed sources.
The UT Administration has always remained at the receiving end of severe criticism for not taking action against influential people indicted in the inquiry report of the scam. Even as the booth allotment scam has been inquired several times by the UT Administration, it is yet to reach its logical end.
In the past two years, the UT Administration has conducted several rounds of inquiry, recorded statements of complainants and officials, and also announced cancellation of allotment of eight booths after the scam.
At present, the UT Estate office is compiling the details of people found guilty in the scam. The Estate office has already scrutinised the first inquiry report submitted by PS Shergill and is also preparing details of an action taken on that report.
Recently, the UT Estate office had also initiated the cancellation proceedings of the booth allotted and criminal action against the defaulters. While 93 booth allotments were under the scanner, the UT Estate office during its inquiry has been able to unearth violations in about 14 only.
Nonetheless, no inquiry has been done into the allegations on top politicians like local MP Pawan Kumar Bansal, Congress leader Pardeep Chabbra among others in the inquiry report of the scam.
The UT booth allotment scam had unfolded in February 2011 and had indicted Chandigarh MP Pawan Kumar Bansal and influential people. The financial dimensions of the fraudulent allotments ran into crores of rupees that included money being paid to politicians, police officials and officers of the Estate Office.